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additional

Etymology and origin of the English word additional

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1563
Ultimate origin
English (addition,-al)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /əˈdɪʃ.ən.əl/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English addition + -al.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

1563 according to Merriam-Webster;[4] the OED records the noun, “something added”, from 1639 and the adjective from 1646,[5] and Etymonline dates the adjective to the 1640s.[2]

Semantic evolution

The noun, “an addition, an extra”, is now rare.[3][5] The adjective means “added, supplementary”.[2][5] Additionally is formed from it.[2]

Timeline

  • 1563 – first known use (Merriam-Webster).[4]
  • 1639 – noun, something added.[5]
  • 1646 – adjective, added.[5]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Added; extra; more than before: additional costs.

Noun

  1. (rare) Something added; an extra.

Word family

  • additionally
  • addition
  • add
  • additive

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Additional.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/additional. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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