Additive Definition

ădĭ-tĭv
additives
noun
additives
A substance added in small amounts to something else to improve, strengthen, or otherwise alter it.
American Heritage
A substance added to another in small quantities to produce a desired effect, as a preservative added to food or an antiknock added to gasoline.
Webster's New World
A substance added in small amounts to something else to improve, strengthen, or otherwise alter it. Additives are used for a variety of reasons. They are added to food, for example, to enhance taste or color or to prevent spoilage. They are added to gasoline to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, and to plastics to enhance molding capability.
American Heritage Science

A substance added to another substance or product for its ability to alter its properties.

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

(grammar) A word or phrase that adds something, such as also, even, or nor.

Wiktionary
adjective
Showing or relating to addition.
Webster's New World
Of or being any of certain primary colors of wavelengths that may be mixed with one another to produce other colors.
American Heritage
To be added.
Webster's New World
Relating to the production of color by the mixing of light rays of varying wavelengths. &diamf3; The additive primaries red, green, and blue are those colors whose wavelengths can be mixed in different proportions to produce all other spectral colors.
American Heritage Science
Marked by, produced by, or involving addition.
American Heritage Science
Synonyms:
Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Additive

Noun

Singular:
additive
Plural:
additives

Origin of Additive

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

    From Wiktionary

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additive