addition
Pluraladditions
- 1Something new or extra that is put with what was already there.
The new puppy is a happy addition to our family.
A little salt would be a nice addition to the soup.
UsageSay an addition to something: a new addition to the family.
Similarextension, acquisition, annex
- 2The act of putting one thing together with another.
The addition of a little sugar made the tea taste better.
With the addition of two new players, the team got much stronger.
UsageOften the addition of something. In addition to means as well as.
Similarinclusion, introduction
Oppositeremoval
- 3The kind of math where you put numbers together to find their total.
Like putting two piles of blocks together and counting how many you have now.
We learned addition before subtraction in first grade.
She used addition to figure out how much all the snacks would cost.
UsageUse no article here: we learn addition and do addition at school.
Oppositesubtraction
Note
Less common meanings
- 4A kind of chemical change where two or more molecules join to make one bigger one.
Like two train cars joining together to make one longer train.
Hardening vegetable oil for margarine relies on addition, as hydrogen joins onto its molecules.
Many plastics are made through addition, where lots of small molecules join into long chains.
Oppositeelimination
Note
- 5A small dot after a music note that tells you to hold it half again as long.
- 6Something extra put on a family's coat of arms as a reward or honor.
- 7A title, such as a job or rank, written after someone's name in legal papers to show exactly who is meant.
Practice
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Origin
It comes from Latin addō, meaning "add" or "put." The meaning "what is added" goes back to the 14th century.
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- The word ultimately comes from Latin addō. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin addō means “add” or “put.” en.wiktionary.org
- The meaning “what is added” dates from the 14th century. en.wiktionary.org