addition

noun

ad·​di·​tion ə-ˈdi-shən How to pronounce addition (audio)
a-
1
: a part added (as to a building or residential section)
The addition expanded the kitchen.
2
: anything or anyone added : increase
The clerk was a recent addition to the staff.
3
: the act or process of adding
a recipe enhanced by the addition of freshly ground pepper
especially : the operation of combining numbers so as to obtain an equivalent simple quantity
schoolchildren learning about addition and subtraction
4
: direct chemical combination of substances into a single product
Phrases
in addition
: besides entry 2, also
The job requires a college degree and, in addition, at least two years of experience.
in addition to
: combined or associated with : besides entry 1 sense 2
In addition to soup, several salads were served.

Examples of addition in a Sentence

The children learned addition and subtraction. The museum's collection includes several new additions.
Recent Examples on the Web In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 436,000 official U.S. streams March 1-7. Kevin Rutherford, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2024 In addition to the fatal crash, Velasquez Salgado also rear-ended an elderly woman’s car earlier during the pursuit, causing her injuries, Coto said. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for addition 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'addition.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English addicioun, borrowed from Anglo-French addicion, borrowed from Latin additiōn-, additiō, from addi-, variant stem of addere "to add" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of addition was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near addition

Cite this Entry

“Addition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addition. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

addition

noun
ad·​di·​tion ə-ˈdish-ən How to pronounce addition (audio)
a-
1
: the result of adding : increase
2
: the act, process, or operation of adding
3
: a part added (as to a building)

More from Merriam-Webster on addition

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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