cumulative

adjective

cu·mu·la·tive | \ˈkyü-myə-lə-tiv,

-ˌlā-\

Definition of cumulative

1a : increasing by successive additions

b : made up of accumulated parts

2 : tending to prove the same point cumulative evidence

3a : 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

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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

Loans of five years or longer extended to borrowers in 2015 with high credit scores had a cumulative net loss rate of 1.29% as of spring 2017. — Christina Rexrode, WSJ, "Auto Lenders Ramp Up Risk to Win More Customers," 10 June 2018 In 2017, the five small schools that occupy its former campus had a cumulative graduation rate of 81 percent. — New York Times, "In New York High Schools, the Sound of Music Is Muted," 13 May 2018 By doing so, Resonate is able to offer acts better compensation by avoiding the market share issues that can cause inequitable distribution and cumulative payment rates more in line with download royalties than streaming ones. — Grant Rindner, Billboard, "How Blockchain, Co-Ops and 'Microsubscription' Services Could Help Artists Earn More From Music Streaming," 30 Apr. 2018 The film, which celebrates the late kids’ show host known for his messages of optimism and joy, earned $2.6 million for a cumulative total of $12.4 million in 893 theaters. — Randall Roberts, latimes.com, "Box office: 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' skitters to the top, 'Incredibles 2' leaps past $500 million," 8 July 2018 The company raised a fresh $66 million round of funding earlier this year, bringing its cumulative total to $79 million. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Slack didn’t kill email — and it might have made it stronger," 4 July 2018 Still going strong after 31 days on release and boosted by a one-month release extension, the tentpole added $6.6 million for a cumulative total of $366 million. — Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, "China Box Office: Indian Comedy 'Toilet: A Love Story' Tops Quiet Weekend," 11 June 2018 To this day, more cumulative time is spent playing Pokémon Go than any other game. — Brian Barrett, WIRED, "The Quiet, Steady Dominance of Pokémon Go," 6 July 2018 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

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.