acceleration

Definition

The act of accelerating, or the state of being accelerated; increase of motion or action; as opposed to retardation or deceleration.

Etymology

First attested in 1531. From French accélération or more likely directly from Latin accelerātiō (“a hastening, acceleration”). Equivalent to accelerate + -ion.

Example Sentences

• "A falling body moves toward the earth with an acceleration of velocity."
• "On the East and West Coast Main Lines in the 1950s/60s, for example, we saw the extinction of intermediate stations in order to create the same sort of accelerations that IRP is now promising. Back then, the priority was faster main line services, with wayside/intermediate stations paying the ultimate price."
• "The boosters produce an acceleration of 20 metres per second per second."

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