What does cumulative mean?
Word: Cumulative
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Cumulative means growing bit by bit as each new amount is added to what is already there.
Synonyms: total, growing, combined
Word origin: Comes from Latin words meaning to heap up and a heap.
How do you spell cumulative?
Syllables: cu - mu - la - tive
Tricky part: There is only one m, though many students write cummulative.
Watch out for: cummulative, cumalative
Memory tip: Cumulus clouds pile up in heaps, and a cumulative total piles up too. Like cumulus, it has a single m.
Cumulative in a sentence
Example 1: Our cumulative marks for the term decide who gets the merit certificate.
Example 2: The cumulative rainfall this July is higher than last year's.
Example 3: Skipping breakfast every day can have a cumulative effect on your energy.
Fun Fact
In maths, a cumulative frequency table adds each row's count to all the counts above it, so the last row always shows the grand total.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The teacher added up our marks to give one cumulitive score for the term.
a) marks
b) cumulitive
c) score
d) teacher
Show answer
b) cumulitive. After the l comes a, then tive: cu-mu-la-tive.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
mcetluuiav
a) accumulate
b) speculative
c) culminate
d) cumulative
Show answer
d) cumulative. Cumulus clouds give you the start, cumul; the rest is ative, and no other option fits all ten letters.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) averege
b) cumulative
c) aproximate
d) percentige
Show answer
b) cumulative. Average ends in age, percentage ends in age and approximate has a double p.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
cumulative
a) shrinking
b) increasing
c) single
d) sudden
Show answer
b) increasing. A cumulative amount keeps increasing as more is added; shrinking is the reverse.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Ines saves 10 pounds on Monday, 10 pounds on Tuesday and 10 pounds on Wednesday. What are her cumulative savings on Wednesday?
a) 10 pounds
b) 40 pounds
c) 20 pounds
d) 30 pounds
Show answer
d) 30 pounds
2. Which is the best example of a cumulative effect?
a) a light switched on and then off
b) a single loud bang that is over at once
c) a coin tossed just one time
d) a dripping tap slowly filling a bucket
Show answer
d) a dripping tap slowly filling a bucket
