noun
- the act of accelerating; increase of speed or velocity.
- a change in velocity.
- Mechanics. the time rate of change of velocity with respect to magnitude or direction; the derivative of velocity with respect to time.
noun
- the act of accelerating or the state of being accelerated
- the rate of increase of speed or the rate of change of velocitySymbol: a
- the power to accelerateSymbol: a
1530s, from Latin accelerationem (nominative acceleratio) “a hastening,” noun of action from past participle stem of accelerare (see accelerate).
- The rate of change of the velocity of a moving body. An increase in the magnitude of the velocity of a moving body (an increase in speed) is called a positive acceleration; a decrease in speed is called a negative acceleration. Acceleration, like velocity, is a vector quantity, so any change in the direction of a moving body is also an acceleration. A moving body that follows a curved path, even when its speed remains constant, is undergoing acceleration. See more at gravity relativity.
A change in the velocity of an object.