Accretion vs. Accumulation: What's the Difference?

Growth or increase in size by gradual external addition, fusion, or inclusion.

The act of gathering or amassing, as into a heap or pile

Something contributing to such growth or increase

The process of growing into a large amount or heap

(Biology) The growing together or adherence of parts that are normally separate.

An amount that has accumulated or been accumulated

Slow addition to land by deposition of water-borne sediment.

The act of amassing or gathering, as into a pile.

An increase of land along the shores of a body of water, as by alluvial deposit.

The process of growing into a heap or a large amount.

(Astronomy) An increase in the mass of a celestial object by its gravitational capture of surrounding interstellar material.

A mass of something piled up or collected.

The act of increasing by natural growth; especially the increase of organic bodies by the internal accession of parts; organic growth.

(legal) The concurrence of several titles to the same proof.

The act of increasing, or the matter added, by an accession of parts externally; an extraneous addition.

(accounting) The continuous growth of capital by retention of interest or savings.

Something added externally to promote the external growth of an item.

(finance) The action of investors buying an asset from other investors when the price of the asset is low.

Concretion; coherence of separate particles.

The practice of taking two higher degrees simultaneously, to reduce the length of study.

(biology) A growing together of parts naturally separate, as of the fingers or toes.

The act of accumulating, the state of being accumulated, or that which is accumulated; as, an accumulation of earth, of sand, of evils, of wealth, of honors.

(geology) The gradual increase of land by deposition of water-borne sediment.

The concurrence of several titles to the same proof.

(legal) The adhering of property to something else, by which the owner of one thing becomes possessed of a right to another; generally, gain of land by the washing up of sand or sail from the sea or a river, or by a gradual recession of the water from the usual watermark.

An increase by natural growth or addition

(legal) Gain to an heir or legatee; failure of a coheir to the same succession, or a co-legatee of the same thing, to take his share percentage.

Several things grouped together or considered as a whole

(astrophysics) The formation of planets and other bodies by collection of material through gravity.

The act of accumulating

The act of increasing by natural growth; esp. the increase of organic bodies by the internal accession of parts; organic growth.

(finance) profits that are not paid out as dividends but are added to the capital base of the corporation

The act of increasing, or the matter added, by an accession of parts externally; an extraneous addition; as, an accretion of earth.

Concretion; coherence of separate particles; as, the accretion of particles so as to form a solid mass.

A growing together of parts naturally separate, as of the fingers or toes.

The adhering of property to something else, by which the owner of one thing becomes possessed of a right to another; generally, gain of land by the washing up of sand or soil from the sea or a river, or by a gradual recession of the water from the usual watermark.

An increase by natural growth or addition

Something contributing to growth or increase;

(astronomy) the formation of a celestial object by the effect of gravity pulling together surrounding objects and gases

(biology) growth by addition as by the adhesion of parts or particles

(geology) an increase in land resulting from alluvial deposits or water-borne sediment

(law) an increase in a beneficiary's share in an estate (as when a co-beneficiary dies or fails to meet some condition or rejects the inheritance)