accrue

verb

ac·​crue ə-ˈkrü How to pronounce accrue (audio)
accrued; accruing
Synonyms of accrue

intransitive verb

1
: to accumulate or be added periodically
Interest accrues on a daily basis.
2
a
: to come about as a natural growth, increase, or advantage
the wisdom that accrues with age
b
: to come as a direct result of some state or action
… a huge competitive advantage would accrue to large firms with ample budgets for lawyers …—Jennifer Rubin
3
: to come into existence as a legally enforceable claim
… action … does not accrue until the plaintiff knew or reasonably should have known that he may have suffered injury …—National Law Journal

transitive verb

: to accumulate or have due after a period of time
accrue vacation time
accruable
ə-ˈkrü-ə-bəl How to pronounce accrue (audio)
adjective
accruement
ə-ˈkrü-mənt How to pronounce accrue (audio)
noun

Examples of accrue in a Sentence

I'll get back all the money I invested, plus any interest and dividends that have accrued. investments that have accrued interest and dividends
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ray Boshara, a senior policy advisor at the Aspen Institute, says that lower-income families will primarily benefit from having that digital donation bucket that can accrue contributions for their kids. — Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 8 July 2026 Taxpayers who were charged interest that began accruing during that period may also be entitled to refunds, in addition to people who overpaid on interest in that timeframe. — Connor Greene, Time, 8 July 2026 Social Security actuaries calculate that eliminating the wage cap (without those taxes accruing additional benefits) would keep the system out of deficit for just three years and close only about half of its long-term shortfall. — Jessica Riedl, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026 But their entire contribution plus the gains accrued will be subject to tax when the child takes money out. — Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for accrue

Word History

Etymology

Middle English acrewen, acruwen, probably borrowed from Anglo-French *acreue "increase," noun derivative from feminine of acreu, past participle of acreistre "to increase, grow," going back to Latin accrēscere, from ad- ad- + crēscere "to grow" — more at crescent entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of accrue was in the 15th century

Rhymes for accrue

See All Rhymes for accrue

Browse Nearby Words

accrual
accrue
accrued
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Accrue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accrue. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

accrue

verb
ac·​crue ə-ˈkrü How to pronounce accrue (audio)
accrued; accruing
1
: to come about as a natural growth or addition
benefits accrue to society from education
2
: to accumulate over a period of time
accrued interest
accrual
-ˈkrü-əl
noun

Legal Definition

accrue

verb
ac·​crue ə-ˈkrü How to pronounce accrue (audio)
accrued; accruing

intransitive verb

1
: to come into existence as an enforceable claim : vest as a right
action…does not accrue until the plaintiff knew or reasonably should have known that he may have suffered injury—National Law Journal

Note: Statutes of limitations begin to run when a cause of action accrues.

2
: to come by way of increase or addition : arise as a growth or result
—usually used with to or from
advantages accruing to society from the freedom of the press
interest accrues to the seller as a result of the delay
3
: to be periodically accumulated in the process of time whether as an increase or a decrease
the accruing of taxes
allowing the receivable interest to accrue

transitive verb

1
: to accumulate or have due after a period of time
authorized by law to accrue leave in the maximum amount of 90 days
2
: to enter in the books as an accrual
Etymology

Middle French accreue increase, addition to a property, from feminine of accreu, past participle of acreistre to increase

More from Merriam-Webster on accrue

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for accrue

Nglish: Translation of accrue for Spanish Speakers

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