Accrue

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈkɹuː/

Definitions

1. To gather or increase over time, particularly in relation to financial gains or responsibilities, as a result of ongoing processes or actions
2. To slowly amass or grow, especially in the context of accumulating wealth or liabilities, stemming from specific circumstances or conditions
3. To build up gradually, especially in terms of money or benefits that increase with the passage of time

Etymology: Ahead of its modern sense of "gather over time," the English verb "accrue" once meant simply "to come about" or to result from something, a sense that the Latin root still carries. Its ultimate source is Latin "accrēscere," built from "ad," meaning "in addition," and "crēscere," meaning "to grow," so the word is at heart about things growing toward a pile. The route into English ran through Old French. The Old French "accreistre" meant "to increase," and its past participle "acreüe" passed into Middle English as "acrewen," first recorded in the mid 15th century. English speakers gradually shortened that form to the "accrue" we use now, and the word's sense of accumulation, such as interest accruing on a loan or leave accruing for each month worked, grew naturally out of the Latin idea of growing toward something.

Synonyms: accumulate, amass, collect, gather, increase

Antonyms: decrease, diminish, reduce, disperse, dissipate