Standard Lemma guide

deceleration

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /diːsɛləˈɹeɪʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /dɪˌsɛləˈɹeɪʃən/
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S EH2 L ER0 EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act or process of decelerating.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • The rocket is now in deceleration.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The amount by which a speed or velocity decreases (and so a scalar quantity or a vector quantity), an acceleration having a negative numerical value.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Examples

  • The brakes produce a deceleration of 10 metres per second.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the act of decelerating; decreasing the speed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he initiated deceleration by braking

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: acceleration

Broader terms: speed, speeding, hurrying

4

noun

Meaning 4

a decrease in rate of change

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the deceleration of the arms race

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: slowing, retardation

Antonyms: acceleration

Broader terms: change, alteration, modification

5

noun

Meaning 5

(physics) a rate of decrease in velocity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: acceleration

Broader terms: rate

History

Etymology

From de- + (ac)celeration.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَباطُؤ (tabāṭuʔ) — the act or process of decelerating
  • Catalan: desacceleració — the act or process of decelerating
  • Catalan: desceleració — the act or process of decelerating
  • Chinese Mandarin: 減速 /减速 (jiǎnsù) — the act or process of decelerating
  • Czech: zpomalení — the act or process of decelerating
  • Dutch: vertraging — the act or process of decelerating
  • Finnish: hidastaminen — the act or process of decelerating
  • Finnish: hidastus — the act or process of decelerating
  • French: décélération — the act or process of decelerating
  • German: Verlangsamung — the act or process of decelerating
  • Greek: επιβράδυνση (epivrádynsi) — the act or process of decelerating
  • Hungarian: lassulás — the act or process of decelerating
  • Indonesian: perlambatan — the act or process of decelerating
  • Italian: decelerazione — the act or process of decelerating
  • Japanese: 減速 (gensoku) — the act or process of decelerating
  • Māori: whakapōturitanga — the act or process of decelerating
  • Persian: واشتاب (vâšetâb) — the act or process of decelerating
  • Polish: zwalnianie — the act or process of decelerating
  • Portuguese: desaceleração — the act or process of decelerating
  • Russian: торможе́ние (tormožénije) — the act or process of decelerating
  • Russian: замедле́ние (zamedlénije) — the act or process of decelerating
  • Russian: децелера́ция (decelerácija) — the act or process of decelerating
  • Serbo-Croatian: децелера́ција — the act or process of decelerating
  • Serbo-Croatian: decelerácija — the act or process of decelerating
  • Spanish: desaceleración — the act or process of decelerating
  • Tagalog: hidarasig — the act or process of decelerating
  • Ukrainian: спові́льнення (spovílʹnennja) — the act or process of decelerating
  • Finnish: hidastuvuus — amount by which a speed or velocity decreases
  • Greek: επιβράδυνση (epivrádynsi) — amount by which a speed or velocity decreases
  • Indonesian: deselerasi — amount by which a speed or velocity decreases
  • Indonesian: perlambatan — amount by which a speed or velocity decreases
  • Malay: nyahpecutan — amount by which a speed or velocity decreases
  • Māori: whakapōturitanga — amount by which a speed or velocity decreases
  • Portuguese: desaceleração — amount by which a speed or velocity decreases
  • Russian: децелера́ция (decelerácija) — amount by which a speed or velocity decreases
  • Serbo-Croatian: децелера́ција — amount by which a speed or velocity decreases
  • Serbo-Croatian: decelerácija — amount by which a speed or velocity decreases
  • Tagalog: hidarasig — amount by which a speed or velocity decreases
Real reading context

deceleration in complete knowledge articles