cumulative

adjective cu·mu·la·tive \ ˈkyü-myə-lə-tiv , -ˌlā- \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Examples: cumulative in a Sentence

Definition of cumulative

1 a : increasing by successive additions

b : made up of accumulated parts

2 : tending to prove the same point

cumulative evidence

3 a : taking effect upon completion of another penal sentence

a cumulative sentence

b : increasing in severity with repetition of the offense

cumulative penalty

4 : formed by the addition of new material of the same kind

a cumulative book index

5 : summing or integrating overall data or values of a random variable less than or less than or equal to a specified value

cumulative normal distribution

cumulative frequency distribution

6 finance

a : to be added if not paid when normally due to the next payment or a future payment

cumulative preferred dividends

cumulative interest

b of stock : bearing such a dividend

cumulative preferred stock

—

cumulatively

adverb

—

cumulativeness

noun

See cumulative defined for English-language learners

See cumulative defined for kids

Examples of cumulative in a Sentence

… Game Boy, which first came out in 1989 as a monochrome handheld toy, has become the most successful of all of the systems, reaching cumulative sales of 110 million units to date … —N'gai Croal, Newsweek, 28 May 2001
They began looking at the cumulative effect of stress and realized that, while there might have been an incident that finally triggered the madness, a series of previous events had lowered the soldier's emotional resistance. —Michael Fleming and Roger Manvell, Psychology Today, July 1987
Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession. —Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self-Reliance," in Essays, 1841
a cumulative weight gain of 20 pounds over the course of a year

Recent Examples of cumulative from the Web

Their harmonic voices, and their cumulative success, are no doubt a testament to what a good teacher can accomplish in a career.

— steve hartman, CBS News, "Former students surprise music teacher who changed their lives," 13 July 2018
Many academics regard their work as part of an open, cumulative, and universal human project.

— joe karaganis, Washington Post, "Russia is building a new Napster — but for academic research," 13 July 2018
Prior to starting at Dunkin’ Donuts in October 2016, Hoffman worked at McDonald’s Corporation for a cumulative 22 years (including as a crew member in high school).

— sarah gray, Fortune, "Dunkin' Brands Names a New CEO Who Will Take Over 'Effective Immediately'," 11 July 2018
But there the overall effect is one of cumulative pathos.

— alastair macaulay, New York Times, "With Batsheva, Politics Inside and Outside the Joyce Theater," 11 July 2018
Average cumulative debt at graduation for bachelor's degree recipients increased by only 1 percent from 2011 to 2016.

— susan tompor, Detroit Free Press, "Students aren't the only ones crushed by school debt," 11 July 2018
The Scholar Awards were presented to the male and female senior athletes who had the highest cumulative grade-point averages over the course of their high school careers.

— mike may, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Berean Christian School student-athletes feted at awards ceremony," 7 July 2018
Over 10 years, the cumulative deficit is projected to be $1.6 trillion higher, for a total of $11.7 trillion.

— glenn kessler, Washington Post, "N.D. Republican’s Senate campaign ‘fact-checking’ website promotes false claim on CBO estimates," 18 June 2018
Board members also raised concerns about Basis reporting a cumulative $32 million deficit as of June 30, 2017, including a $9.1 million deficit last year.

— craig harris, azcentral, "State Charter Board OKs Basis expansion despite concerns about finances, teacher pay," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cumulative.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.