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Glite Dictionary
additive inverse

additive inverse

7.9
A number that you add to another number to get zero
  • noun
  • /ˈædɪtɪv ˈɪnvɜrs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : inverso aditivo
  • To solve the equation x + 3 = 0, we need to find the additive inverse of 3, which is -3.

Examples

  • So the additive inverse, you can prove it's unique.

  • The additive inverse of 5 is -5, because 5 added to -5 equals zero.

  • Now, as it measures the curvature of space, it represents the additive inverse of this curvature.

    Blog text (3)

  • In algebra, the additive inverse of a number is the value that, when added to that number, results in zero.

Surface Forms

additive inverse singular
additive inverses plural

Morphology

additive + inverse

The term is compositionally built: 'additive' specifies the operation (relating to addition) and 'inverse' denotes the opposite or thing that reverses another, so the phrase straightforwardly means the opposite under addition (e.g. 5 and -5). This morphological logic is regular and cross-linguistically common in mathematics, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can reliably infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Additive inverse is a name from math: additive means 'by adding' and inverse means 'the opposite'. Imagine 3 and -3 as two weights that cancel on a scale and make zero, so an additive inverse is the number that 'cancels' another number when you add them.