What does "accession" mean?
A coming to; the act of acceding and becoming joined.
Accession
/ækˈseʃ.ən/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A coming to; the act of acceding and becoming joined.
- Grammar: accession is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accedence, acceptance, access, access.
- Useful contrasts: abatement, abdication, deaccession.
- Usage evidence: It seems it was a gift for the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne.
How to use "accession"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "accession" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "accession" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "accession" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "accession" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "accession" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accedence" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "accession", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A coming to; the act of acceding and becoming joined. countable, uncountable
"a king's accession to a confederacy"
- 2 the act of attaining or gaining access to a new office or right or position (especially the throne) wordnet
- 3 Increase by something added; that which is added; augmentation from without. countable, uncountable
"The only accession which the Roman empire received, during the first century of the Christian Aera, was the province of Britain."
- 4 the right to enter wordnet
- 5 Increase by something added; that which is added; augmentation from without.; Such augmentation that adds to the collections of a museum or archive; a thing thus added. countable, uncountable
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 agreeing with or consenting to (often unwillingly) wordnet
- 7 A mode of acquiring property, by which the owner of a corporeal substance which receives an addition by growth, or by labor, has a right to the part or thing added, or the improvement (provided the thing is not changed into a different species). countable, uncountable
- 8 something added to what you already have wordnet
- 9 The act by which one power becomes party to engagements already in force between other powers. countable, uncountable
- 10 (civil law) the right to all of that which your property produces whether by growth or improvement wordnet
- 11 The act of coming to or reaching a throne, an office, or dignity. countable, uncountable
"her accession to the throne"
- 12 a process of increasing by addition (as to a collection or group) wordnet
- 13 The invasion, approach, or commencement of a disease; a fit or paroxysm. countable, uncountable
- 14 Agreement. countable, uncountable
- 15 Access; admittance. countable, uncountable
- 16 A group of plants of the same species collected at a single location, often held in genebanks. countable, uncountable
- 17 Complicity, concurrence or assent in some action. Scotland, countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To make a record of (additions to a collection); to add (something) to a collection (usually a museum's or archive's collection). transitive
- 2 make a record of additions to a collection, such as a library wordnet
Example
"It seems it was a gift for the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "accession"?
Common synonyms include: accedence, acceptance, access, access, accessory, accompaniment.
How do you use "accession" in a sentence?
It seems it was a gift for the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne.
How do you pronounce "accession"?
Pronounced /ækˈseʃ.ən/.
Etymology
Ultimately from Latin accessiō(n), from accēdō (English accede). Cognate to French accession. First attested in 1646.