accumulative

American  

[uh-kyoo-myuh-ley-tiv, -luh-tiv] / əˈkyu myəˌleɪ tɪv, -lə tɪv /

adjective

1. tending to accumulate or arising from accumulation; cumulative.

2. tending to accumulate wealth; acquisitive.

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Other Word Forms

• accumulatively adverb
• accumulativeness noun
• nonaccumulative adjective
• nonaccumulatively adverb
• nonaccumulativeness noun
• unaccumulative adjective
• unaccumulatively adverb
• unaccumulativeness noun

Etymology

Origin of accumulative

First recorded in 1645–55; accumulate + -ive

Compare meaning

How does accumulative compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cumulative vs. accumulative

Example Sentences

As for questions about her age, she said, "I have accumulative youth."

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

The debut film as writer-director from acclaimed playwright Annie Baker, “Janet Planet” sneaks up on you with a quiet, accumulative emotional power.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2024

"Additionally, our study revealed that multiyear La Niña are distinguished from single-year La Niña by a conspicuous onset rate, which foretells its accumulative intensity and climate impacts."

From Science Daily • Sep. 21, 2023

She said it was an 11.5% increase in April, and an "accumulative increase" of more than 30% since 2018.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2023

The abstraction, by raising profits and interest, would give a fresh stimulus to the accumulative principle, which would speedily fill up the vacuum.

From Principles Of Political Economy Abridged with Critical, Bibliographical, and Explanatory Notes, and a Sketch of the History of Political Economy by Mill, John Stuart