1
: of, relating to, or characterized by addition
an additive process
2
: produced by addition
3
: characterized by, being, or producing effects (such as drug responses or gene products) that when the causative factors act together are the sum of their individual effects
additively
adverb
: a substance added to another in relatively small amounts to effect a desired change in properties
food additives
Synonyms
Examples of additive in a Sentence
Adjective
certain drugs have additive effects when taken in conjunction with each other that one doesn't see when any one is used alone
Noun
a gasoline additive to reduce pollution
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
What to know: It's been more than a decade since regulators have evaluated the safety of the additive known as red dye No. 3, an artificial dye that gives a cherry-red coloring to thousands of products.
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024
Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2024
What is red dye 40? FD&C Red No. 40, or Red 40 for short, is the FDA's name to refer to a color additive first registered with the agency in the 1970s.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for additive 
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Adjective
Red 2 remains a legal food additive in many other countries, including Canada.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
What to know: It's been more than a decade since regulators have evaluated the safety of the additive known as red dye No. 3, an artificial dye that gives a cherry-red coloring to thousands of products.
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
Contain artificial flavoring and additives: Some vitamins and minerals, like iron, zinc, and B vitamins, have a metallic taste.
—Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2024
What is red dye 40? FD&C Red No. 40, or Red 40 for short, is the FDA's name to refer to a color additive first registered with the agency in the 1970s.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for additive
Dictionary Entries Near additive
Cite this Entry
“Additive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/additive. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
additive
1 of 2 adjective
ad·di·tive
ˈad-ət-iv 
: relating to or produced by addition
additively
adverb
additive
2 of 2 noun
: a substance added to another in small amounts to give or improve desirable qualities or decrease unwanted qualities
a gasoline additive
additives which color, flavor, or preserve food
Medical Definition
additive
1 of 2 adjective
ad·di·tive
ˈad-ət-iv
: having or relating to a value or effect that is the sum of individual values or effects: as
a
: relating to the sum of the pharmacological responses produced by the concurrent administration of two or more drugs capable of producing the same kind of effect
b
: having a genetic effect that is the sum of the individual effects
additively
adverb
additive
2 of 2 noun
: a substance added to another in relatively small amounts to effect a desired change in properties
especially
: an agent added to a foodstuff to improve color, flavor, texture, or keeping qualities
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