From Longman Business Dictionarycumulative preference shareˌcumulative ˈpreference ˌshare (also cumulative preferential share), or cumulative preferred share [countable]FINANCEone of the class of PREFERREDSHAREs where, if the company does not payDIVIDENDs in some years, the amount of these dividends is paid in later years, and is not lost to the shareholder →share