accumulation

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noun

A quantity accumulated: aggregation, amassment, assemblage, collection, congeries, cumulation, gathering, mass. See collect/distribute.

n

Definition: gathering or amassing
Antonyms: dispersal, dispersion, dissipation, scattering

1. The input of ice to a glacier. Observations from the Decade glacier, Baffin Island, suggest that accumulation is greatest in shaded upland areas. The accumulation zone, or accumulation sub-system, is that part of a glacier between the firn line and the source where the input of snow, firn, and ice exceeds losses by ablation. The lower limit of the accumulation zone is at the equilibrium line.

2. The reinvestment of surplus value, in the form of capital, in order to increase that capital. Accumulation is a key feature of capitalism because, in order to remain in business, the capitalist has not only to preserve the value of the capital raised but also to add to the value of that capital; the driving force is investment policy. The effects of this ‘imperative of accumulation’ are, on the one hand, a class of capitalists who own the means of production, and, on the other hand, a class of workers who sell their labour to the capitalists; an economic system that has had profound societal implications. A further effect of the imperative of accumulation is the necessity for technical change and economic growth. Among others, D. Harvey (1982) argues that the obligatory accumulation of the capitalist system has been responsible for uneven development, at different times, at different locations, and at different spatial scales.

Economists have classified two regimes of accumulation: Fordism and post-Fordism.

Collection of features derived from different periods used to suggest a chronological sequence of building even though construction may have taken place at the one time. See additive.

For a list of words related to accumulation, see:

• Economics and Economic Theory - accumulation: addition to capital investment or capital stock from profits

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - opsamling, akkumulation, ophobning

Nederlands (Dutch)
opeenstapeling, groei/ aanwas

Français (French)
n. - accumulation, (Fin) accroissement

Deutsch (German)
n. - Ansammlung, Anhäufung, Akkumulation, Kumulation, Zusammenballung

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - συσσώρευση, συνάθροιση, (οικον.) σώρευση, συσσώρευση

Italiano (Italian)
accumulazione, capitalizzazione, ammasso, conglomerato

Português (Portuguese)
n. - acumulação (f), acervo (m)

Русский (Russian)
накопление, масса, скопление, собирание (фактов), сосредоточение

Español (Spanish)
n. - acumulación, amontonamiento, concentración

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - anhopning, kapitalisering

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
堆积, 积聚, 累积物, 堆积物

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 堆積, 積聚, 累積物, 堆積物

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 축적[물], 자본증가

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 蓄積, 利殖, 累積

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) تراكم, تكديس‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮צבירה, הצטברות, דחיסה, ערימה‬

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