Cumulative vs. total vs. summed

Consider a set of items, each having a certain cost. I would like to refer to the sum of the costs of the items in the set. Is there a difference between or a preference for one of the following options?

  • Cumulative cost
  • Total cost
  • Summed cost

Say you have items A, B, C costing 20, 30, 40 respectively.

The total cost or equivalently, the cost of the items, is 90. That is, 20 + 30 + 40.

The progressive cost is the series 20, 50, 90. That is, [20, 20+30, 20+30+40].

Summed cost is more problematic because the context can change what is summed.


As I see it, Total is the final figure. Cumulative is the progressive totalling of several figures. A. Summed figure is the figure arising of addition of several subtotals.