If a series of events have a cumulative effect, each event makes the effect greater.
Simple pleasures, such as a walk on a sunny day, have a cumulative effect on ourmood.
The benefits from eating fish are cumulative.
Synonyms: collective, increasing, aggregate, amassed More Synonyms of cumulative
cumulativelyadverb
His administration was plagued by one petty scandal after another, cumulatively verydamaging.
cumulative in British English
(ˈkjuːmjʊlətɪv)
adjective
1.
growing in quantity, strength, or effect by successive additions or gradual steps
cumulative pollution
2.
gained by or resulting from a gradual building up
cumulative benefits
3. finance
a.
(of preference shares) entitling the holder to receive any arrears of dividend before any dividend is distributed to ordinary shareholders
b.
(of dividends or interest) intended to be accumulated if not paid when due
4. statistics
a.
(of a frequency) including all values of a variable either below or above a specified value
b.
(of error) tending to increase as the sample size is increased
Derived forms
cumulatively (ˈcumulatively)
adverb
cumulativeness (ˈcumulativeness)
noun
cumulative in American English
(ˈkjumjələˌtɪv; occas., ˈkjumjəˌleɪtɪv)
adjective
1.
increasing in effect, size, quantity, etc. by successive additions; accumulated
cumulative interest
2.
taking successive additions into account
a cumulative average
3.
designating or of preferred stock that pays regular dividends which, if not paid on the scheduled date, accumulate and take priority over dividend payments to other classes of the company's stock
4. Law
designating additional evidence that gives support to earlier evidence
Derived forms
cumulatively (ˈcumulaˌtively)
adverb
Word origin
see cumulate
cumulative in Finance
(kyumyələtɪv)
adjective
(Finance: Investment, Stocks)
Cumulative dividends or earnings are added on from period to period.
Analysts estimate that third-quarter earnings for the industry will increase as muchas 19 percent from the year-earlier period. If so, their cumulative earnings could hit $4.12 billion.
The Fund provided a six-month cumulative return of 3.26 percent.
Cumulative dividends or earnings are added on from period to period.
cumulative in Accounting
(kyumyələtɪv)
adjective
(Accounting: Basic)
Cumulative dividends or earnings are added on from period to period.
Analysts estimate that third-quarter earnings for the industry will increase as muchas 19 percent from the year-earlier period. If so, their cumulative earnings could hit $4.12 billion.
The Fund provided a six-month cumulative return of 3.26 percent for the six months ended August 31.
Cumulative dividends or earnings are added on from period to period.
Examples of 'cumulative' in a sentence
cumulative
The policy's cumulative cost is about to pass 20 billion.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
These look small but frequently have an appalling cumulative impact due to the effects of compounding.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Their cumulative impact did not at first produce anything like a uniform society.
Garraty, John Arthur The American Nation: A History of the United States to 1877 (1995)
The cumulative increase will take the rise into double figures.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The trouble is that the cumulative effect of those clashes build.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
But they could be outweighed by the cumulative effect of other considerations.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It warned that the cumulative impact of all the measures announced in the budget on work incentives was unclear.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The cumulative effect of loud noise is damage to the specialised hair cells in the inner ear that are essential to hearing.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The cumulative effect of breathing, retraining and relaxation exercises will be to reduce arousal.
Chaitow, Leon The Beat Fatigue Workbook - how to identify the causes (1988)
Some of the cumulative effects of ongoing stress are fatigue, sleep problems and poor health.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Each improvement may seem trivial, but the cumulative effect can be huge.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
If you persist in training your mind to follow positive thought patterns, the cumulative effect is enormous.
Wilkinson, Steve M.E. and You - a self-help plan (1988)
A few successful attempts at recall will be cumulative in their effect.
Lumsden, Robert 23 Steps to Successful Achievement (1972)
It is one of his party pieces, and he understands its cumulative power as well as any leading conductor today.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Having been beguiled by its strong and cumulative impact, we are surprised when it comes to a sombre and lonely end.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
These effects can be cumulative, occurring after the passengers have been riding in the vehicle for a certain number of miles or minutes.
Randolph, Theron G. & Moss, Ralph W. (contributor) An Alternative Approach to Allergies (1990)
A spokesman said that the figures reflected the cumulative effect of immigration over the past 40 years.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
But there are increasing worries at their cumulative impact on the Hunter Valley.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
If you're anything like me, the cumulative effect was utter misery.
The Sun (2013)
To explain such wonders it is necessary, he says, that we understand the power of cumulative selection.
Christianity Today (2000)
Yet it's a determinedly quiet play whose impact is cumulative, as we see how all these finely drawn characters are constrained by custom or cash.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
cumulative
British English: cumulative ADJECTIVE
If a series of events have a cumulative effect, each event makes the effect greater.
It is simple pleasures, such as a walk on a sunny day, which have a cumulative effect on our mood.
American English: cumulative
Brazilian Portuguese: cumulativo
Chinese: 累积的
European Spanish: cumulativo
French: cumulatif
German: Gesamt-
Italian: cumulativo
Japanese: 累積する
Korean: 점증적인
European Portuguese: cumulativo
Latin American Spanish: cumulativo
All related terms of 'cumulative'
cumulative voting
a system of voting in which each elector has as many votes as there are candidates in his or her constituency . Votes may all be cast for one candidate or distributed among several
cumulative evidence
additional evidence reinforcing testimony previously given
cumulative distribution function
a function defined on the sample space of a distribution and taking as its value at each point the probability that the random variable has that value or less. The function F ( x ) = P ( X ≤ x ) where X is the random variable, which is the sum or integral of the probability density function of the distribution
cdf
cumulative distribution function
distribution function
a function defined on the sample space of a distribution and taking as its value at each point the probability that the random variable has that value or less. The function F ( x ) = P ( X ≤ x ) where X is the random variable, which is the sum or integral of the probability density function of the distribution
(adjective)
Definition
growing in amount, strength, or effect by small steps
The strain of all this deceit has had a cumulative effect on my happiness and relationships.