additive

American  

[ad-i-tiv] / ˈæd ɪ tɪv /

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.

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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

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

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

“What is additive to the U.S.’s GDP, of course, may be subtracted from oil importers’ real GDP, all else equal.”

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

A toxic additive was also found in similar jars seized by police after laboratory tests in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the police statement said.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

A 2022 color additive petition filed by two dozen food safety and health advocates found that Red Dye No. 3 caused cancer in laboratory male rats exposed to high levels of the dye.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

The experiments showed that this additive manufacturing strategy can preserve the hardness and mechanical strength typically achieved through conventional manufacturing methods.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

I’m betting it got its creaminess from xanthan gum or some other additive.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Related Words

• preservative
• supplement