Which term refers to a thing formed or added by gradual growth or increase?

Which term refers to a thing formed or added by gradual growth or increase?

• A. Accretion
• B. Expansion
• C. Change in perspective
• D. Daily

Answer: (A)

This item tests understanding of a word that means growth by gradual buildup. Accretion is exactly that: something formed or added over time through the steady accumulation of material, so it becomes larger as layers or bits are gradually deposited. Think of land slowly growing along a coastline as sediments accumulate, or matter spiraling onto a star or planet in space to form an accretion disk. In contrast, expansion is a general sense of getting bigger or more extensive, but doesn’t inherently imply the product is built up by layered addition. Change in perspective is about a shift in viewpoint, not physical growth, and daily is about frequency or recurrence, not formation. So the term that best matches “a thing formed or added by gradual growth or increase” is accretion.

This item tests understanding of a word that means growth by gradual buildup. Accretion is exactly that: something formed or added over time through the steady accumulation of material, so it becomes larger as layers or bits are gradually deposited. Think of land slowly growing along a coastline as sediments accumulate, or matter spiraling onto a star or planet in space to form an accretion disk. In contrast, expansion is a general sense of getting bigger or more extensive, but doesn’t inherently imply the product is built up by layered addition. Change in perspective is about a shift in viewpoint, not physical growth, and daily is about frequency or recurrence, not formation. So the term that best matches “a thing formed or added by gradual growth or increase” is accretion.