accremental

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/ˌækrɪˈmɛn.tl̩/

adjective

Related to growth or increase by successive additions, particularly in size or volume, often through the gradual deposition of material. This term is used to describe processes or structures that grow by accretion, such as the formation of shells, tree rings, or the buildup of biological tissues.

Scrabble 17

Meanings

adjectiveaccremental (comparative more accremental, superlative most accremental)

comparative more accremental · superlative most accremental

  1. biologyRelated to growth or increase by successive additions, particularly in size or volume, often through the gradual deposition of material. This term is used to describe processes or structures that grow by accretion, such as the formation of shells, tree rings, or the buildup of biological tissues.

    They are crossed by oblique crowded accremental striae, producing sublenticular pitting.

    2024 June 30, Wikipedia contributors, “Callistele calliston”, in English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation
    2 more examples

    There are moderately developed accremental striæ, which become ruder and rounder on the free tube.

    1904 December [1904 August 2], Jos. C Verco, M.D., “Notes on South Australian Marine Mollusca, with Descriptions of New Species, Part I.”, in Walter Howchin, editor, TRANSACTIONS of the ROYAL SOCIETY of SOUTH AUSTRALIA., volume XXVIII, page 143

    The factor mainly responsible for the crisis (an interruption in the gradual, accremental change when the extant institutions absorb new conditions, modifying in the process in a fashion not suddent enough to be perceived as revolutionary) in Western Europe which was to lead eventually to the articulation of class society was the demographic explosion of the eighteenth century.

    1982, Zygmunt Bauman, Memories of Class (Routledge Revivals): The Pre-history and After-life of Class (International library of sociology), Routledge, page 4

Origin

  1. Latinaccrēmentum
  2. Englishaccremental

From Latin accrēmentum (to increase or grow) + -al

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

accremental. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accremental

MLA

“accremental.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accremental. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “accremental,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/accremental.

Source: accremental on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.