additive

American  

[ad-i-tiv] / ˈæd ɪ tɪv /

noun

• additives
  plural

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.

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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 British  

/ ˈædɪtɪv /

adjective

1. characterized or produced by addition; cumulative

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noun

1. any substance added to something to improve it, prevent deterioration, etc

2. short for food additive

additive Scientific  

/ ăd′ĭ-tĭv /

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.

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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 subtractive See Note at color

4. Mathematics Marked by, produced by, or involving addition.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interadditive
  adjective
• subadditive
  adjective
• additively
  adverb
• subadditively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• additives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of additive

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

Explanation

An additive is an extra substance that's added to something in order to improve it in some way. Many additives are used to preserve or flavor food. The noun additive means "something that is added," from the Latin addere, "add to or attach." Things like gasoline, medicine, and livestock feed all contain various chemical additives that make them safer or more efficient. In math, additive is often used as an adjective, meaning "having to do with addition."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

additive additives

The sites are dubbed "pink slime" after the fluorescent pink meat paste used as an additive by food manufacturers.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Last year, the company changed its popular strawberry shake and signature pink lemonade recipes to remove red dye No. 40, a synthetic additive used to give foods and drinks a bright red hue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

The researchers explored whether additive manufacturing could provide a more efficient alternative.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

“Stablecoins are additive to our network,” CEO Michael Miebach said on the earnings call.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

One is modeling, an additive process using soft materials such as plaster, clay, or wax.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

Foods “cross into ultra-processed territory when they contain preservatives, flavorings and other food additives, or substances ... to enhance flavor and increase shelf life.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

A basic rule of thumb is that to be ultra-processed a product needs more than five ingredients, with at least one not normally found in your kitchen - things like emulsifiers, additives and flavourings.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Heating oil and diesel are similar refined products with different additives and lubricants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

The team is now studying how food additives and ultra-processed foods may influence inflammation, oxidative stress, the metabolic profile of the blood, and the gut microbiota.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

Several of the ingredients were synthetic additives that are permitted under federal organic rules.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Related Words

• preservative
• supplement