English

Etymology

Latin addere ; ad + dare to give, put. Compare date, do

Transitive verb

Imperfect and past participle: added
Present participle: adding

1. To give by way of increased possession (to any one); to bestow (on).

   Quotations

   • The Lord shall add to me another son. - Genesis, 30:24

2. To join or unite, as one thing to another, or as several particulars, so as to increase the number, augment the quantity, enlarge the magnitude, or so as to form into one aggregate. Hence: To sum up; to put together mentally; as, to add numbers; to add up a column.

   Quotations

   • Back to thy punishment, False fugitive, and to thy speed add wings. - John Milton
   • As easily as he can add together the ideas of two days or two years. - John Locke

3. To append, as a statement; to say further.

   Quotations

   • He added that he would willingly consent to the entire abolition of the tax. - William Macaulay

Synonyms

To add, join, annex, unite, coalesce.

Usage notes

• We add by bringing things together so as to form a whole.
• We join by putting one thing to another in close or continuos connection.
• We annex by attaching some adjunct to a larger body.
• We unite by bringing things together so that their parts adhere or intermingle.
• Things coalesce by coming together or mingling so as to form one organization.
• To add quantities; to join houses; to annex territory; to unite kingdoms; to make parties coalesce

Intransitive verb

1. To make an addition. To add to, to augment; to increase; as, it adds to our anxiety.

   Quotations

   • I will add to your yoke. - 1 Kings 12:14

2. To perform the arithmetical operation of addition; as, he adds rapidly.

Translations

• Catalan: afegir (1), sumar (2)
• Dutch: toevoegen (1), optellen (2), bijtellen (2)
• French: ajouter (1), additionner (2)
• German: hinzufügen (1), addieren (2)
• Hebrew: לחבר /lehaber/
• Ido: adjuntar (join), adicionar (numbers)
• Indonesian: tambah
• Japanese: 加える (くわえる ), 増す (ます ), 足す (たす ) (2), 追加 する (ついかする, tsuika-suru)
• Korean: 더하다 (deo-hada), Hanja: 추가하다 (chuga-hada)
• Polish: dodać
• Russian: прибавить /pribavit'/, добавить /dobavit'/,
• Spanish: añadir (1), adicionar (2), sumar (2)
• Swedish: addera (1,2), summera (2), lägga ihop (2)

Derived terms

• adder
• addition
• additive
• add-on