# cumulative

/ˈkjumjəɫətɪv/ (US) · /kjˈuːmjʊlətˌɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cumulative
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. increasing by additions

adjective · CEFR B2

increasing or growing by adding one part after another.

For teachers: increasing or becoming better or worse over time through a series of gradual additions.

- The cumulative effect of many small changes led to a big improvement in his health.
- The cumulative impact of decades of industrial runoff has significantly altered the local ecosystem, making restoration a complex and lengthy process.

### 2. total amount so far

adjective · CEFR B2 · Academic

including all the data or amounts from the beginning up to now.

For teachers: representing the sum total of all previous data points or values up to a specific moment in time.

- Your final grade is based on your cumulative score from all the tests this year.
- The report tracks the cumulative rainfall for the region, comparing the year-to-date totals against the historical thirty-year average.

### 3. finance/dividends

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical · Formal

describes a type of payment that must be paid later if it cannot be paid now.

For teachers: referring to shares or dividends that, if not paid when due, must be added to the next payment and settled before other shareholders receive anything.

- Investors prefer cumulative shares because they eventually get their unpaid dividends.
- The company issued cumulative preference shares to attract long-term investors who required a guaranteed return, even during periods of low liquidity.

### 4. legal evidence

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

describes extra evidence that just repeats what has already been proven.

For teachers: referring to evidence or testimony that provides no new information but merely reinforces facts already established by other evidence.

- The judge decided the extra witness was cumulative and did not need to speak.
- The prosecution's attempt to call a fifth eyewitness was blocked by the defense on the grounds that the testimony would be purely cumulative.

## Examples

- The cumulative cost of the repairs was high.
- The cumulative effect of small daily savings can lead to significant wealth over time.
- Researchers tracked the cumulative impact of air pollution on respiratory health, noting that even low-level exposure adds up to serious long-term risks.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.