Total Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Related Words

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms total American [toht-l] / ˈtoʊt l /

adjective

1. constituting or comprising the whole; entire; whole.

   the total expenditure.

   Synonyms: complete

2. of or relating to the whole of something.

   the total effect of a play.

3. complete in extent or degree; absolute; unqualified; utter.

   a total failure.

4. involving all aspects, elements, participants, resources, etc.; unqualified; all-out.

   total war.

noun

1. the total amount; sum; aggregate.

   a total of $200.

   Synonyms: totality, gross

2. the whole; an entirety.

   the impressive total of Mozart's achievement.

   Synonyms: totality, gross

verb (used with object)

totaled, totaling, totalled, totalling

1. to bring to a total; add up.

2. to reach a total of; amount to.

3. Slang. to wreck or demolish completely.

   He totaled his new car in the accident.

verb (used without object)

totaled, totaling, totalled, totalling

1. to amount (often followed byto ).

total British / ˈtəʊtəl /

noun

1. the whole, esp regarded as the complete sum of a number of parts

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

1. complete; absolute

   the evening was a total failure

   a total eclipse

2. (prenominal) being or related to a total

   the total number of passengers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

1. to amount

   to total six pounds

2. (tr) to add up

   to total a list of prices

3. slang (tr) to kill or badly injure (someone)

4. (tr) to damage (a vehicle) beyond repair

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does total mean? Total describes the wholeness or entirety of something, like the total amount of cake you ate last night. If you ate the total cake, you ate the entire cake (and might have felt sick afterward!).Total describes the breadth of something either physically or conceptually. For example, your total order describes all the items in your purchase. While if you’re a total success, you are completely successful.A total is the complete amount or sum. The total on your restaurant bill is the entire amount of money you owe for your meal.A total can also be the entirety of something. The total of your book collection would be all the books you own, and the total of your sports equipment is all the equipment you own.Finally, to total is to add up (to total your bill) or to reach an amount, as in The bill totalled up to $56.75.Example: The total on the bill is higher than I expected because I forgot about sales tax.

Related Words

See whole.

Other Word Forms

• quasi-total adjective
• quasi-totally adverb
• retotal verb (used with object)
• supertotal noun
• totally adverb
• untotaled adjective
• untotalled adjective

Etymology

Origin of total

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (adjective), from Medieval Latin tōtālis , equivalent to Latin tōt(us) “entire” + -ālis -al 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For comparison’s sake, Ateez and Twice both hit No. 1 last year with albums that earned less than 7 million total streams, and Stray Kids topped the chart in November with less than 14 million.

From The Wall Street Journal

Scientists using satellite data estimated that since 2003 the amount of groundwater depleted in the Colorado River Basin is comparable to the total capacity of Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir.

From Los Angeles Times

The statewide agency, which mainly polices traffic violations on freeways and oversees state property, has sworn in more than 600 new officers this year — a total that many departments would envy.

From Los Angeles Times

Whether from choice or necessity, we humans have enjoyed increasing freedom of movement, with the number of migrants globally reaching a record 304 million in 2024, representing nearly 4% of the total global population.

From Salon

In light of the uncertainty, Walker recommends event contract traders work with a tax professional and keep detailed records of the contracts they have traded, their outcomes, and total wins and losses.

From Barron's

Related Words

• absolute
• comprehensive
• entire
• full
• outright
• overall
• sheer
• unconditional
• unlimited
• unrestricted
• utter

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.