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cumulative

Adjective

IPA /ˈkjuːmjʊlətɪv/

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Meaning in plain English

Increasing gradually as more things are added, or describing the combined effect of several actions or events over time.

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Pronunciation

cumulative/ˈkjuːmjʊlətɪv/

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The cumulative cost of small purchases surprised me at the month's end.
Regular revision has a cumulative effect on how much vocabulary I remember.

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cumulative — Increasing gradually as more things are added, or describing the combined effect of several actions or events over time.

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Increasing gradually as more things are added, or describing the combined effect of several actions or events over time.

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Word origin

Formed from cumulate and -ive; cumulate means to gather or build up.

Did you know?

Cumulatively is the adverb: small changes can cumulatively produce a large effect.

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