Definition of CUMULATIVE (original) (raw)
1
b
: made up of accumulated parts
2
: tending to prove the same point
3
a
: taking effect upon completion of another penal sentence
b
: increasing in severity with repetition of the offense
4
: formed by the addition of new material of the same kind
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
b
of stock : bearing such a dividend
cumulative preferred stock
Synonyms
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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
That is more than 50% lower than its debut weekend, but still lifts the film to a $70.8 million cumulative after 12 days on release. —Patrick Frater, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024 Given these trends, a key question that could tilt the balance in Pennsylvania, as well as in other battleground states, is whether local voters focus on the cumulative rise in prices since 2020 or instead take cheer from how inflation has cooled over the last year, Yaros said. —Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2024 That’s because the ROI on point solutions isn’t cumulative. —Tate Olinghouse, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Over time, cumulative increases in fast-food prices eroded the relative value of dining out. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cumulative 
Word History
First Known Use
1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1b
Time Traveler
The first known use of cumulative was in 1605
Dictionary Entries Near cumulative
Cite this Entry
“Cumulative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cumulative. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.
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Last Updated: 7 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences
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