cumulative

adjective

ˈkyü-myə-lə-tiv How to pronounce cumulative (audio)
Definition of cumulativenext
as in accumulative
produced by a series of additions of identical or similar things a cumulative weight gain of 20 pounds over the course of a year

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 cumulative 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 Since launching wide on July 29, the tentpole has pulled in a cumulative gross of $25 million from 3,384,147 total admissions. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026 Published in English as The Aosawa Murders, Onda’s 2005 novel Eugenia won the 59th Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel, and has sold a cumulative 380,000 copies in Japan. — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026 Combined into a comprehensive tax plan, the cumulative impact can be substantial. — D. Scott Kenik, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cumulative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cumulative
  1. accumulative
  2. additive
  3. incremental
  4. gradual
Adjective
  • The choice of Miami Beach as the festival’s long-term home is less accidental than accumulative.
    — Desjah Altvater, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
  • According to a new paper, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, accumulative stresses in the Earth’s crust in California are higher today than at any point over the last 1,000 years, raising concerns over the potential for a massive rupture in the Los Angeles region.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 10 June 2026
Definition of accumulative
Adjective
  • The speed of additive construction changes the blueprint for military logistics.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
  • Keep in mind that the actuaries’ various savings ideas are not additive and interactions among them could impact total savings.
    — Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of additive
Adjective
  • The five-star analyst projects international revenue growth of about 10% between 2026 and 2027, driven by SLB’s exposure to incremental intervention activity and a recovery in Middle East activity.
    — TipRanks.com, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Personalization can reduce wasteful discounting, loyalty points can lower a guest’s out-of-pocket cost, and optional extras can help owners generate incremental margin.
    — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of incremental
Adjective
  • The Executive Risk Of Inevitability Aging, slower recovery, shifting hormone levels, and the gradual loss of muscle and bone density will naturally happen by default unless an intervention takes place.
    — Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media, said this would be a gradual process linked to an Israeli withdrawal.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of gradual

Browse Nearby Words

cumulations
cumulative
cumulativeness
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Cite this Entry

“Cumulative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cumulative. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cumulative

Nglish: Translation of cumulative for Spanish Speakers

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