accelerant

noun

ac·​cel·​er·​ant ik-ˈse-lə-rənt How to pronounce accelerant (audio)
ak-
: a substance used to accelerate a process (such as the spreading of a fire)

Examples of accelerant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Yet even as expectations have grown, relative public investment in science has, paradoxically, diminished, despite the fact that basic scientific research is a massive accelerant of economic productivity and effectively self-financing. John Drake, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025 In the hyper-capitalist world of modern football, money is an accelerant — what is necessary to fix this club will not now arrive on the speediest of timelines. Carl Anka, New York Times, 22 May 2025 The suspect then allegedly threw a liquid — presumed to be a fire accelerant — onto the victim and set her on fire. Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2025 An accelerant was also found in the residence and the home’s gas line appeared to have been tampered with, investigators said. Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for accelerant

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of accelerant was in 1824

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Cite this Entry

“Accelerant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accelerant. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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