cumulative

[kyoo-myuh-luh-tiv, -ley-tiv]

adjective

1. increasing or growing by accumulation or successive additions.

   the cumulative effect of one rejection after another.

2. formed by or resulting from accumulation or the addition of successive parts or elements.

3. of or relating to interest or dividends that, if not paid when due, become a prior claim for payment in the future.

   cumulative preferred stocks.

cumulative

/ ˈkjuːmjʊlətɪv /

adjective

1. growing in quantity, strength, or effect by successive additions or gradual steps

   cumulative pollution

2. gained by or resulting from a gradual building up

   cumulative benefits

3. finance

   1. (of preference shares) entitling the holder to receive any arrears of dividend before any dividend is distributed to ordinary shareholders

   2. (of dividends or interest) intended to be accumulated if not paid when due

4. statistics

   1. (of a frequency) including all values of a variable either below or above a specified value

   2. (of error) tending to increase as the sample size is increased

Other Word Forms

• cumulatively adverb
• cumulativeness noun
• uncumulative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cumulative¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; cumulate + -ive

Example Sentences

Entrant Jonathan Jennings went on to victory last week as the contest's first American winner, skimming his stones a cumulative distance of 177m.

From BBC

“I do think it’s a cumulative moment of change,” said Christina Hildebrand, president and founder of A Voice for Choice, an advocacy group that sponsored the California lawsuit.

From Los Angeles Times

But the fear is that they are producing a cumulative and compounding effect from which it is proving almost impossible to escape.

From BBC

“It feels cumulative, even though the episodes themselves are not necessarily connected directly,” Bob-Waksberg says.

From Los Angeles Times

“But we believe the cumulative stressors of the pandemic — such as prolonged isolation, disrupted routines, reduced physical and cognitive activity, and economic uncertainty — likely contributed to the observed brain changes,” Mohammadi-Nejad said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aggregate 
• increasing