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• add
  add

  verb (used with object)

  to unite or join so as to increase the number, quantity, size, or importance.
• ADD
  ADD

  abbreviation

  attention deficit disorder: the inattentive subtype of ADHD, usually marked by distractibility and difficulties with executive function.

add

¹ American  

[ad] / æd /

verb (used with object)

• adds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• added,
  past participle,  past
• adding
  present participle

1. to unite or join so as to increase the number, quantity, size, or importance.

   to add two cups of sugar; to add a postscript to her letter;

   to add insult to injury.

   Synonyms:

   adjoin, attach, append, affix

2. to find the sum of (often followed byup ).

   Add this column of figures.

   Add up the grocery bills.

   Synonyms:

   sum, total

3. to say or write further.

4. to include (usually followed byin ).

   Don't forget to add in the tip.

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verb (used without object)

• adds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• added,
  past participle,  past
• adding
  present participle

1. to perform the arithmetic operation of addition.

   children learning to add and subtract.

2. to be or serve as an addition (usually followed byto ).

   His illness added to the family's troubles.

noun

1. Journalism. copy added to a completed story.

verb phrase

1. add up to to signify; indicate.

   The evidence adds up to a case of murder.

idioms

1. add up,

   1. to make the desired, expected, or correct total.

      These figures don't add up right.

   2. to seem reasonable or consistent; be in harmony or accord.

      Some aspects of the story didn't add up.

ADD ² American  

[ey-dee-dee] / ˈeɪˈdiˈdi /

abbreviation

1. attention deficit disorder: the inattentive subtype of ADHD, usually marked by distractibility and difficulties with executive function.

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add ¹ British  

/ æd /

verb

1. to combine (two or more numbers or quantities) by addition

2. to increase (a number or quantity) by another number or quantity using addition

3. to join (something) to something else in order to increase the size, quantity, effect, or scope; unite (with)

   to add insult to injury

4. to have an extra and increased effect (on)

   her illness added to his worries

5. (tr) to say or write further

6. to include

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noun

1. informal an instance of adding someone to one's list of contacts on a social networking site, esp MySpace

   Thanks for the add!

ADD ² British  

abbreviation

1. attention deficit disorder

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ADD Scientific  

1. Abbreviation of attention deficit disorder

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misadd
  verb
• readd
  verb (used with object)
• addable
  adjective
• addible
  adjective
• unaddable
  adjective
• unadded
  adjective
• unaddible
  adjective
• addedly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• adding
  present
• added
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• add
  simple
• adds
  simple
• have added
  perfect
• has added
  perfect
• am adding
  progressive
• are adding
  progressive
• is adding
  progressive
• have been adding
  perfect progressive
• has been adding
  perfect progressive

Past

• added
  simple
• had added
  perfect
• was adding
  progressive
• were adding
  progressive
• had been adding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will add
  simple
• will have added
  perfect
• will be adding
  progressive
• will have been adding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of add¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English adden, from Latin addere, equivalent to ad- ad- + -dere “to put” (combining form; see do ¹)

Origin of ADD²

First recorded in 1975–80

Explanation

When you add, you join two or more things together. If you add on to your summer cottage, you build an extra room that's connected to your existing house. If your boss adds ten dollars to your paycheck, she gives you the money in addition to, or on top of, your salary. And when you add a column of numbers, you combine each one in the list until you get a final answer. You might verbally add something by making one last statement: "I'd like to add that I can't wait to visit again!" The Latin root is addere, "add to, join, or attach."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

add ADD adds added adding

A child born or adopted afterward may not be included unless you update the designation to add their names.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

“Additionally, outsized growth in services revenue in FY27, combined with fears that AI spending will crowd out 2H software spending, raise concerns on subscription growth durability,” the analysts add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

"The more you add capability to a drone, the less meaningful the distinction between the drone and a lower-end cruise missile."

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

"With fiscal concerns mounting and bond yields rising, we are not convinced the bank is ready to add fuel to the fire."

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

She didn’t add that we’d have to survive this to ask the question, a fact I appreciated.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Maybe, as certain people have suggested to me, we’re all a little ADD.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

“I have ADD and I’m dyslexic, so learning a lot of dialogue was always very daunting,” said Saldaña in an interview prior to the start of the actors strike.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 20, 2023

"And with that comes increased risks of a number of diseases that should not be taken lightly — autism, schizophrenia, ADD, ADHD, imprinting disorders."

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2023

“I was diagnosed with ADD when I was in 9th grade after a couple of years of not knowing why I couldn’t keep up,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2023

I didn’t pay much attention to ADD when I was young.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

The French energy major remains focused on cash-accretive growth and its upcoming capital markets day should provide a clearer picture of its strategy through 2035, she adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

The long lead times for developing large, new assets means that further industry consolidation between the global copper giants is possible, Cryer adds.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

"We've both had health problems over the last few years and we should be keeping warm but its just too expensive," John Craggs adds.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

The deal will reduce Chime’s reliance on third parties and increase its velocity of innovation, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

“That’s an opinion, not a fact—an opinion I agree with!” he quickly adds as I glare at him.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

"This isn't a live discussion of an Italy vs Ireland game, but why we use that as an example?" he added.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

“In many parts of the country, buyers may be able to negotiate on price, repairs or closing costs — and walk away if the numbers don’t work,” she added.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Ridge Biotechnologies, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based precision medicine startup, added $13 million in new seed funding, bringing the total raised by the company to about $38 million.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

"And in 10 years' time, the first European manned capsule take off from Kourou with European astronauts and those from other nations on board," he added, referring to Europe's spaceport in French Guiana.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

“But all your enterprise just gave Gary an opening to try to grab you at the library,” Angela added.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

El Niño is adding heat to oceans that were warming up anyway, creating conditions conducive to storms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Smith, who said she'd come to the fair to pet the animals, lamented that consumer prices were sky-high, adding: "It hurts at the pump."

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

Mansur’s publisher said it maintained correspondence with Mansur throughout and didn’t restrict or withhold shipment of his book, adding that it wouldn’t be in its financial interest to do so.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

In a Facebook post, the organisation said it is "deeply saddened by the untimely death" of Sisic, adding "at just 22 years old, she left us far too soon".

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Lippmann, who was forever adding data to his presentation, produced his latest version of “Shorting Mezzanine Home Equity Tranches” and walked Fewings through his argument.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• boost
• continue
• include
• reply