additive meaning: definition, etymology

additive

adj

UK /ˈæd.ɪ.tɪv/ · CA, US /ˈæd.ɪ.tɪv/

Etymology From Late Latin additivus, from the participial stem of Latin addere (“to add”).

Mathematics, Sciences Pertaining to addition; that can be, or has been, added.

Mathematics, Sciences Usually, Of a function That is distributive over addition.

Matrix multiplication is additive, in that M#92;vecv#43;M#92;vecw#61;M(#92;vecv#43;#92;vecw).

Group theory, Mathematics, Sciences Whose operator is identified as addition.

It is natural to look at a finite cyclic group as an additive group.

Chemistry, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Pertaining to chemical addition.

Biology, Genetics, Medicine, Natural sciences, Sciences Of or pertaining to genes (or the interaction etc. of such genes) which govern the same trait and whose effects work together on the phenotype.

Derived terms: 29 terms
additive category, additive color, additive combinatorics, additive function, additive group, additive identity, additive inverse, additively, additive manufacturing, additiveness, additive number theory, additive operation, additive plural, additivism, adele, countably additive, cycloadditive, food additive, geoadditive, heteroadditive, hypoadditive, interadditive, nonadditive, overadditive, pre-additive category, protoadditive, subadditive, superadditive, underadditive
Related terms: additivity
Coordinate terms: multiplicative, subtractive

additive

noun

Etymology From Late Latin additivus, from the participial stem of Latin addere (“to add”).

A substance added to another substance or product to produce specific properties in the combined substance.

Oil may be used as an additive in gasoline to improve the lubrication of a small engine.

Grammar, Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences A word or phrase that adds something, such as also, even, or nor.

Derived terms: phytoadditive