Accelerate
/ækˈsɛləˌreɪt/noun
To increase speed or make something happen sooner.
Did you know?Its root is the Latin verb *accelerāre*, built from *ad-* (“to, toward”) + *celer* (“swift”), the same speed-root behind words like *celerity*—a reminder that English still runs on ancient momentum.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱel-
“to be swift, to move fast”
Latin
Latin
celer
“swift, quick”
Latin
Latin
accelerāre
“to hasten, speed up”
Old French
Old French
accelerer
“to hasten, quicken”
Late Middle English
English
acceleraten
“to hasten or make faster”
Modern English
English
accelerate
“to increase speed or rate”
Explore more surprising origins