additive

/ˈædədɪv/

/ˈædətɪv/

Other forms: additives; additively

An additive is an extra substance that's added to something in order to improve it in some way. Many additives are used to preserve or flavor food.

The noun additive means "something that is added," from the Latin addere, "add to or attach." Things like gasoline, medicine, and livestock feed all contain various chemical additives that make them safer or more efficient. In math, additive is often used as an adjective, meaning "having to do with addition."

Definitions of additive

1. adjective

   characterized or produced by addition
   “an additive process”

   synonyms:

   accumulative, cumulative

   increasing by successive addition

   addable, addible

   capable of being added or added to

   additional, extra

   further or added

   complemental, complementary, completing

   acting as or providing a complement (something that completes the whole)

   incremental

   increasing gradually by regular degrees or additions

   intercalary

   having a day or month inserted to make the calendar year correspond to the solar year: "Feb. 29 is an intercalary day"

   summational, summative

   of or relating to a summation or produced by summation

   supplemental, supplementary

   added to complete or make up a deficiency

   antonyms:

   subtractive

   constituting or involving subtraction

   ablative

   tending to ablate; i.e. to be removed or vaporized at very high temperature

   reductive

   characterized by or causing diminution or curtailment
2. adjective

   designating or involving an equation whose terms are of the first degree
   synonyms: linear

   bilinear

   linear with respect to each of two variables or positions
3. noun

   something added to enhance food or gasoline or paint or medicine
   types:

   adjuvant

   (medicine) a therapy, medicine, or anything that makes a medical treatment more effective or manageable

   artificial additive, food additive

   an additive to food intended to improve its flavor or appearance or shelf-life

   type of:

   add-on, addition, improver

   a component that is added to something to improve it