accrue
uh-KROO
/əˈkruː/
To accumulate or receive payments, benefits, or points over time as a natural growth or result.
Implies a gradual, automatic accumulation that happens over a period, often due to a legal or financial agreement.
The story behind the word. Imagine a river slowly depositing silt on its banks, gradually building up land over time. This is the image behind accrue, which comes from the Old French acreistre ('to increase') and the Latin accrescere ('to grow'). It entered English through medieval law and finance, describing how interest or benefits naturally grow and accumulate over time.
Word relationships
- accumulate: Accumulate is general and can apply to physical objects (like clutter), whereas accrue is typically used for intangible assets, rights, or financial values over time.
- amass: Amass implies actively gathering a large quantity of something, while accrue often happens passively or automatically through a system.
- diminish: Diminish means to make or become less, whereas accrue means to steadily grow or increase.
- disperse: Disperse means to scatter or distribute, which is the opposite of gathering and growing in one place.
Commonly confused with
- acquire: Acquire is an active, often single event of gaining possession, whereas accrue is a passive, gradual accumulation over time.
Word family
- accrual (noun): The accumulation or increase of something over time, especially payments or benefits.
Collocations
- accrue interest
- accrue benefits
- accrue points
- gradually accrue
Example sentences
- "Interest will accrue on your savings account balance on a daily basis, compounding monthly." Financial planning guide
- "Paid time off will accrue at a rate of four hours per pay period for full-time employees." Employee handbook
Memory hook
Think of 'ac-crue' as a 'crew' of points slowly gathering together on your account over time. Accrue: Grow over time.
When not to use
Do not use for sudden, one-time acquisitions or physical objects that do not grow systematically.
Fun facts
- In accounting, 'accrual basis' means recognizing revenues and expenses when they occur, regardless of when the cash actually changes hands.
Explore more words
accretion, accumulation, cumulative, accelerate, incremental, bioaccumulate
Also appears in
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