cumulative

adjective

cu·​mu·​la·​tive ˈkyü-myə-lə-tiv 

-ˌlā-

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

Synonyms of cumulative

• accumulative
• additive
• incremental
• gradual

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 on the Web

The cumulative impression of Alice that the book leaves is of someone moving serenely through life, meeting fond blessings and awful curses both with the same calm equanimity. — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

But maybe there’s something between veteran players and heavier cumulative workloads. — Zach Harper, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Their cumulative return featured 13 new players, including nine prospects whom MLB Pipeline ranks within their top 30. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026

But the cumulative impact of small, everyday souvenirs multiplied across millions of stays costs hotels hundreds of millions of dollars globally each year. — Scott Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see cumulate

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing cumulative

• cumulative distribution function
• cumulative effect

Kids Definition

cumulative

adjective

cu·​mu·​la·​tive ˈkyü-myə-lət-iv 

-ˌlāt-

: increasing (as in force, strength, or amount) by additions one after another

cumulative effects

cumulatively adverb

cumulativeness noun

Medical Definition

cumulative

adjective

cu·​mu·​la·​tive ˈkyü-myə-lət-iv, -ˌlāt- 

: increasing in effect by successive doses (as of a drug or poison)

cumulative poisoning by organochlorine pesticides

—Jack Clincy

cumulatively adverb

Legal Definition

cumulative

adjective

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

1

: increasing by successive additions

2

: tending to prove the same point

cumulative testimony

3

: following in time