accretion legal definition

noun

1. In property law, the gradual increase in land through natural processes; for example, the creation of land caused by the deposit of sediment on a shoreline of a river or ocean. The new land becomes the property of the owner of the property to which it is attached. See also alluvion, reliction, and avulsion.
2. In succession law, the increase in an heir or legateeÂ’s interest in property when a co-heir or co-legatee dies before the property vests, rejects his inheritance or legacy, fails to comply with a condition to be met before vesting, or otherwise becomes incapable of taking the property.