Synonyms of totalnext
1
: comprising or constituting a whole : entire
the total amount
2
: absolute, utter
a total failure
a total stranger
3
: involving a complete and unified effort especially to achieve a desired effect
total war
total theater

total

2 of 4

noun

1
: a product of addition : sum
2
: an entire quantity : amount

total

3 of 4

verb

totaled or totalled; totaling or totalling

transitive verb

1
: to add up : compute
2
: to amount to : number
3
: to make a total wreck of : demolish
specifically : to damage so badly that the cost of repairs exceeds the market value of the vehicle
totaled the car

total

4 of 4

adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for total

whole, entire, total, all mean including everything or everyone without exception.

whole implies that nothing has been omitted, ignored, abated, or taken away.

read the whole book

entire may suggest a state of completeness or perfection to which nothing can be added.

the entire population was wiped out

total implies that everything has been counted, weighed, measured, or considered.

the total number of people present

all may equal whole, entire, or total.

all proceeds go to charity

Examples of total in a Sentence

Adjective a total lack of support a total eclipse of the sun He demanded total control of the project. What was the total amount of the bill? the total number of words The country has a total population of about 100 million. Noun a total of 25 square miles that's the total for our wheat harvest this year Verb He carefully totaled the bill. two and two total four
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Cook, turning every few minutes, until the corn is tender and lightly charred on all sides, about 12–15 minutes total. Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 But success in this area would give Meta a robust revenue stream that isn’t attached to its bread-and-butter advertising business, which drives all but 2% of the company’s total revenue. Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 2 July 2026
Noun
That total is based more on how the run production has been and the names of the starters than on today's reality. David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 But voting totals reset, adding some unpredictability to the process. Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Verb
Jones totaled 122 homers over parts of eight years in the majors. Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 The reigning most improved player of the year totaled eight points and eight assists. Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 29 June 2026
Adverb
Hot 100 and 45 weeks total on the chart. Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 25 Aug. 2025 Battery life tops 8 hours between charges, or up to 28 hours total with the charging case. Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for total

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin totalis, from Latin totus whole, entire

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1716, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of total was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Total.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/total. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

total

1 of 3 adjective
1
: of or relating to the whole of something
a total eclipse of the sun
2
: making up the whole
the total amount
3
: being such to the fullest degree
total ruin
4
: making use of every means to do something
total war

total

2 of 3 noun
1
: a product of addition : sum
2
: an entire amount

total

3 of 3 verb
totaled or totalled; totaling or totalling
1
2
: to amount to
donations totaled $120
3
: to make a total wreck of
totaled the car

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