cumulative

adjective

cu·​mu·​la·​tive ˈkyü-myə-lə-tiv 

-ˌlā-

1

a

: increasing by successive additions

b

: made up of accumulated parts

2

: tending to prove the same point

cumulative evidence

3

a

: taking effect upon completion of another penal sentence

a cumulative sentence

b

: increasing in severity with repetition of the offense

cumulative penalty

4

: formed by the addition of new material of the same kind

a cumulative book index

5

: summing or integrating overall data or values of a random variable less than or less than or equal to a specified value

cumulative normal distribution

cumulative frequency distribution

6

finance

a

: to be added if not paid when normally due to the next payment or a future payment

cumulative preferred dividends

cumulative interest

b

of stock : bearing such a dividend

cumulative preferred stock

cumulatively adverb

cumulativeness noun

Synonyms

• accretive
• accumulative
• additive
• conglomerative
• incremental

Examples of cumulative in a Sentence

… Game Boy, which first came out in 1989 as a monochrome handheld toy, has become the most successful of all of the systems, reaching cumulative sales of 110 million units to date … —N'gai Croal, Newsweek, 28 May 2001

They began looking at the cumulative effect of stress and realized that, while there might have been an incident that finally triggered the madness, a series of previous events had lowered the soldier's emotional resistance. —Michael Fleming and Roger Manvell, Psychology Today, July 1987

Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession. —Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self-Reliance," in Essays,  1841

a cumulative weight gain of 20 pounds over the course of a year

Recent Examples on the Web

McClain attorney Patrick Cotter said the exhibit was cumulative in addition to being hearsay. —Jim Talamonti | The Center Square Contributor, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 20 Dec. 2024

According to recent data, the cumulative percentage of out-of-wedlock births in America is roughly 40%. —Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024

How the rate cut could affect your wallet Below is a breakdown of how the recent rate cut could impact your monthly borrowing costs, including Wednesday’s 25-bps cut and the cumulative 100-bps reduction since the Fed began cutting rates in September, as estimated by Bankrate. —Mike Winters, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2024

Ultimately, a plant needs a cumulative amount of light per day to thrive. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see cumulate

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing cumulative

• cumulative distribution function
• cumulative effect

Kids Definition

cumulative

adjective

cu·​mu·​la·​tive ˈkyü-myə-lət-iv 

-ˌlāt-

: increasing (as in force, strength, or amount) by additions one after another

cumulative effects

cumulatively adverb

cumulativeness noun

Medical Definition

cumulative

adjective

cu·​mu·​la·​tive ˈkyü-myə-lət-iv, -ˌlāt- 

: increasing in effect by successive doses (as of a drug or poison)

cumulative poisoning by organochlorine pesticides

—Jack Clincy

cumulatively adverb

Legal Definition

cumulative

adjective

cu·​mu·​la·​tive ˈkyü-myə-lə-tiv, -ˌlā- 

1

: increasing by successive additions

2

: tending to prove the same point

cumulative testimony

3

: following in time