additive

[ ad-i-tiv ]

noun

1. something that is added, as one substance to another, to alter or improve the general quality or to counteract undesirable properties:

   an additive that thins paint.

2. Nutrition.
   1. Also called food additive. a substance added directly to food during processing, as for preservation, coloring, or stabilization.
   2. something that becomes part of food or affects it as a result of packaging or processing, as debris or radiation.

adjective

1. characterized or produced by addition; cumulative:

   an additive process.

2. Mathematics. (of a function) having the property that the function of the union or sum of two quantities is equal to the sum of the functional values of each quantity; linear.

additive

/ ˈædɪtɪv /

adjective

1. characterized or produced by addition; cumulative

noun

1. any substance added to something to improve it, prevent deterioration, etc
2. See food additive
   short for food additive

additive

/ ăd′ĭ-tĭv /

Noun

1. A substance added in small amounts to something else to improve, strengthen, or otherwise alter it. Additives are used for a variety of reasons. They are added to food, for example, to enhance taste or color or to prevent spoilage. They are added to gasoline to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, and to plastics to enhance molding capability.

Adjective

1. Relating to the production of color by the mixing of light rays of varying wavelengths.
2. ◆ The additive primaries red, green, and blue are those colors whose wavelengths can be mixed in different proportions to produce all other spectral colors.
3. Compare subtractiveSee Note at color
4. Mathematics.
   Marked by, produced by, or involving addition.

Other Words From

• ad·di·tive·ly adverb
• in·ter·ad·di·tive adjective
• sub·ad·di·tive adjective
• sub·ad·di·tive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of additive¹

From the Late Latin word additīvus, dating back to 1690–1700. See additament, -ive

Word History and Origins

Origin of additive¹

C17: from Late Latin additīvus, from addere to add

Example Sentences

You might smell it when roasting malt, barley, and other grains, or as an additive in bread and cakes.

From Popular-Science

They’ve placed tailings from exploratory drilling into assorted containers, and are measuring the reaction rates that result from using different chemical additives and processes under different weather conditions.

From MIT Technology Review

More research on possible effects from different additives in these plastics also will be needed, Yue notes.

From Science News For Students

So hot I am guessing there’s a fuel additive in the mix and that additive smells like “guilt.”

From Ozy

A pair of mathematicians has solved the first chunk of one of the most famous conjectures about the additive properties of whole numbers.

From Quanta Magazine

Not because I need to feed him, keep him in milk, yogurt, additive-free turkey bologna.

From The Daily Beast

BPA remains a common additive in both dental fillings and dental sealants, according to the American Dental Association.

From The Daily Beast

Conversely, indefinite integrals are indeterminate to the extent of an additive constant.

From Project Gutenberg

This valuable additive law, however, cannot be applied in strictness to the amount of ionisation attending the ray.

From Project Gutenberg

Bearing in mind the additive effects of stimulus we see that its effective intensity increases with the duration of application.

From Project Gutenberg

(d) Additive effect on current of response, root-tip a negative, and growing region A positive.

From Project Gutenberg

The additive effect of stimulus of light and gravity is seen illustrated in figure 180.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• preservative
• supplement