cumulative
increasing by adding over time
Growing step by step as more things are added to what came before.
cumulative [noun]
- The health risks from air pollution are cumulative, building up after years of exposure.
- Even small debts can have a serious cumulative effect on your finances.
- The company reported a cumulative loss of $5 million over three years.
- There is growing concern about the cumulative impact of plastic waste on the oceans.
- The study looked at the cumulative amount of time children spent on screens each week.
- Stress at work can have a cumulative effect on your body.
- The snow did not melt, so the depth became cumulative over several days.
- He calculated the cumulative cost of eating out every day.
- The noise was not loud, but the cumulative sound from many machines was tiring.
- The chart shows the cumulative number of new customers each month.
including all previous parts
Showing the total of everything so far, not just the most recent part.
cumulative [noun]
- Your cumulative score for the course will be based on all tests and assignments.
- The report shows the cumulative total of sales for the year to date.
- Her cumulative GPA puts her in the top 5% of the class.
- We analyzed the cumulative data from five different studies.
- The final exam is cumulative and will cover all the chapters we studied.
- This website shows your cumulative steps for the week.
- The teacher wrote our cumulative points on the board.
- My cumulative grade is higher this semester than last semester.
- The app gives a cumulative total of money you saved.
- The last test was cumulative, so I had to review the whole book.
added punishment or requirement
Used especially in law to mean that one punishment or rule is extra, on top of another one, not instead of it.
cumulative [noun]
- The judge imposed cumulative sentences for the three separate offenses.
- Under the new law, cumulative penalties may apply for repeated violations.
- He faced a cumulative prison term of ten years for several related crimes.
- The court gave him two cumulative sentences.
- Cumulative punishment means one penalty is added to another.
- In this country, some crimes can bring cumulative jail time.
- The fines are cumulative if you break the rule many times.
- She worried about the cumulative penalties for late tax payments.
- Base: cumulative
cumulative data
1data shown as running totals
Numbers or information that show totals up to a certain time, not just for one day or period.
- The website publishes both daily and cumulative data on new cases.
- Cumulative data from several years helped them see long-term trends.
cumulative effect
1total result of many small effects
The final result that comes when many small things, changes, or actions add up over time.
- The cumulative effect of years of poor sleep can be very serious.
- We are only now seeing the cumulative effect of climate change on local weather patterns.
cumulative exam
1exam covering all studied material
A test that includes questions from everything you have studied in the course, not only the last part.
- The final is a cumulative exam, so start reviewing from the first chapter.
- Students were nervous because the cumulative exam covered all topics from the year.
cumulative impact
1overall impact from repeated causes
The total impact that comes from many smaller impacts happening over time.
- We must consider the cumulative impact of multiple construction projects on traffic.
- The cumulative impact of small policy changes can be greater than a single big reform.
cumulative risk
1total combined level of risk
The full level of risk when you look at all the different things that can harm you together.
- Researchers studied the cumulative risk of different air pollutants on children.
- We need to understand the cumulative risk from diet, exercise, and genetic factors.
cumulative score
1sum of scores over time
The number you get when you add all of a person's or team's scores together over a period of time.
- Their cumulative score after three rounds put them in first place.
- The app shows your cumulative score across all the quizzes you have taken.
cumulative sentence
1prison terms served back-to-back
A prison sentence that is added on top of another sentence, so the person serves one and then the other.
- The court imposed a cumulative sentence of eight years for the two offenses.
- He was given cumulative sentences rather than concurrent ones.
cumulative total
1running total including all so far
A number that shows the full amount so far, after adding every earlier amount.
- The chart displays the cumulative total of donations for the campaign.
- By June, the cumulative total of visitors to the museum had reached 100,000.