ADDITIVE Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

additive 1 of 2

adjective

ˈa-də-tiv

Definition of additive

as in cumulative

produced by a series of additions of identical or similar things certain drugs have additive effects when taken in conjunction with each other that one doesn't see when any one is used alone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

additive

2 of 2

noun

as in subsidiary

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of additive

Adjective

Sci, 2026 Blood might seem like an unusual, even slightly morbid, additive to paint. — Mike McRae 17, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026 Started to see a few more additive things with body language or going out on his own. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026

Noun

Multi-color printing was added at the start of this year after a breakthrough in technology, and Nike brought additive printing through its own Project Nectar tech on the Air Max 95000 introduced last fall. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026 The friction has been finding options that feel consistent with a low-additive lifestyle. — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for additive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for additive

Adjective

The company reached approximately $500 million in cumulative pod sales by summer 2025 and expects that figure to reach $1 billion by the end of 2026.

— Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
What eventually made tobacco’s cumulative harm actionable was that states showed their Medicaid budgets absorbing the downstream costs of industry products.

— Ned Cooper, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of cumulative

Noun

The Wednesday announcement by Sanrio’s Chinese subsidiary came just after French soccer star Kylian Mbappé apologized for remarks about late Chinese leader Mao Zedong that saw several Chinese sponsors cut ties with him.

— Reuters, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026
The country's upper house of parliament voted last month to require UBS to hold 90% of Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital, or about $16 billion in extra shares, as collateral to support its foreign subsidiaries.

— Hugh Leask, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of subsidiary

Noun

Soundtracks often work in a similar way—music that’s been composed with the idea of accompaniment, melodies that are meant to join with a story already can work perfectly when one is in the midst of creating a character or scene.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Make little parcels with the fish and all the accompaniments to make a perfect bite.

— Emma Specter, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of accompaniment

Noun

Her human slogan machine rap seemed more like a complement to JT’s malleable traditionalism rather than the other way around.

— Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
With the complete battery complement installed, the concept is claimed to produce 195 hp and weigh 485 lb (220 kg).

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of complement

Noun

To limit bruising, patients are often told to avoid alcohol, blood-thinning pain relievers and supplements like ginkgo biloba, ginger, garlic and vitamin E for a few days before and after.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026
Research suggests that regularly taking saffron supplements can reduce the amount of C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammation marker, in the blood.

— Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of supplement

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additions

additive

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Style

“Additive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/additive. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of additive

adjective

noun

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