Accumulated or built up over time, especially referring to interest, expenses, or benefits that have been earned but not yet paid or received. In accounting, it describes amounts that are owed or earned but haven't been settled.
From French 'accroître' meaning 'to increase' or 'grow,' which comes from Latin 'accrescere' (ad- 'to' + crescere 'to grow'). The financial sense developed in the 17th century as accounting practices formalized the concept of tracking obligations over time.
The word 'accrued' captures one of the most fundamental principles in business accounting - that money can be 'real' even when it hasn't changed hands yet! This concept revolutionized how companies track their true financial position beyond just cash flow.
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