cumulative

American  

[kyoo-myuh-luh-tiv, -ley-tiv] / ˈkyu myə lə tɪv, -ˌleɪ tɪv /

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 British  

/ 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

Etymology

Origin of cumulative

First recorded in 1595–1605; cumulate + -ive

Compare meaning

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

• cumulative vs. accumulative

Example Sentences

Across the economy, their cumulative profit margin has recently been around 12%, even before the AI binge.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Since the start of the war, Pantheon has lowered its forecast for 2026 and 2027 by a cumulative 0.8 percentage points.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

According to Malik, the Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, these attacks all have a cumulative effect.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

“Applying for and opening new credit accounts will tend to lower your credit scores, so avoiding multiple applications over a short time frame can prevent a cumulative negative effect,” says Experian.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

The first excitement was gone from the Row now and its place was taken by a deadly cumulative earnestness.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• aggregate
• increasing