accrue
C1Formal / Business / Financial / Academic
Definition
Meaning
to accumulate or be added over time, especially of financial benefits, interest, or advantages.
To grow or increase gradually as a result of additions; to come into existence or be received as a natural or logical consequence.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a passive or automatic process of growth, rather than active acquisition. Commonly used with abstract nouns like 'benefits', 'interest', 'advantages', 'rights'. Can be transitive (to accrue benefits) or intransitive (interest accrues).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is very similar. 'Accrue' is slightly more frequent in American financial and legal contexts. In UK English, 'build up' is a more common everyday synonym.
Connotations
Both varieties share formal/business connotations. No significant difference in connotation.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English corpora, particularly in business/finance sections.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Interest] accrues (intransitive)[Entity] accrues [benefits] (transitive)[Benefits] accrue to [person/entity][Entity] accrues [interest] on [investment]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Let the benefits accrue.”
- “Accrual of interest.”
- “The accruing debt.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Interest will accrue on the outstanding loan balance at a rate of 5% per annum.
Academic
Significant cultural capital can accrue to families over several generations.
Everyday
If you leave your savings in that account, interest will just accrue automatically.
Technical
The system is designed so that loyalty points accrue with each qualifying transaction.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Interest will continue to accrue on the arrears.
- Substantial pension benefits had accrued during his long tenure.
- The debt accrued significant penalties over the months.
American English
- Dividends accrue to shareholders quarterly.
- The company accrued substantial tax advantages from the merger.
- You need to understand how your vacation time accrues.
adverb
British English
- The interest is calculated accruingly on a daily basis. (rare)
American English
- The investment grows accruingly at a compound rate. (rare)
adjective
British English
- The accrued interest was added to the principal.
- They calculated the total accrued liability.
- Payment of all accrued holiday is required.
American English
- The accrued revenue was recognized in Q4.
- Employees can view their accrued time off online.
- The report details accrued expenses.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Money in the bank gets more because interest accrues.
- If you don't pay the bill, extra charges will accrue.
- The benefits of regular exercise accrue over many years.
- Shareholders watched as substantial dividends accrued over the financial year.
- The power accrued by the central committee gradually undermined democratic processes.
- The legal precedent ensures that certain rights accrue to tenants after five years of continuous occupation.
- Critics argue that the policy allows unfair advantages to accrue to the wealthiest in society.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CRUise ship getting bigger (ACCRUing) as more passengers and cargo come on board over time.
Conceptual Metaphor
VALUE IS A FLUID THAT COLLECTS (interest accrues like water filling a tank). TIME IS A SOURCE OF GROWTH (benefits accrue over time).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить как "накапливать" в физическом смысле (складывать вещи). Акцент на автоматическом, часто финансовом/юридическом накоплении.
- Избегать просто "получать" или "зарабатывать" - "accrue" пассивнее.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'accrue' for active, immediate acquisition (e.g., 'I accrued a new car yesterday').
- Using it with concrete, countable objects (e.g., 'He accrued many books').
- Confusing with 'acquire'.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'accrue' used CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while most common in financial contexts (interest, debts, revenue), it can be used for any abstract benefit, advantage, or right that builds up over time (e.g., experience, respect, power, vacation days).
'Accrue' often implies a more passive, automatic, or periodic increase, especially in legal/financial contexts. 'Accumulate' is broader and can be more active (e.g., 'He accumulated a large stamp collection'). They are often interchangeable for abstract concepts.
Yes, 'accrued' is the standard past tense and past participle (e.g., 'The benefits had accrued', 'the accrued interest'). It is also commonly used as an adjective (e.g., 'accrued expenses').
Yes, this is a common pattern meaning 'to be received by or become available to someone'. Example: 'All profits will accrue to the founding members.'
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