altogether

1 of 2

adverb

al·​to·​geth·​er ˌȯl-tə-ˈge-t͟hər How to pronounce altogether (audio)
1
: wholly, completely
an altogether different problem
stopped raining altogether
2
: in all : all told
spent a hundred dollars altogether
3
: on the whole
Altogether their efforts were successful.

altogether

2 of 2

noun

informal
: nude
used with the
posed in the altogether

Examples of altogether in a Sentence

Adverb They had an altogether new idea. If we don't do something now, the forests may disappear altogether. It's best to avoid the situation altogether. Altogether, their efforts were successful. Noun had never posed in the altogether for a photographer before
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
All RSNs are facing marginalization as cable operators cut programming costs, moving the networks to more expensive tiers or off the systems altogether. David Bloom, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Some studies suggest that this behavior has the potential to undermine the benefits of smart thermostats altogether. Chris Baraniuk, WIRED, 29 Nov. 2023 The ending of the show is not altogether unexpected. Joe Otterson, Variety, 29 Nov. 2023 Then, after the loss to UCLA, in what’s likely to be his last home game at USC, Williams avoided the media altogether. Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023 Plans to shrink office space or leave it altogether have been the source of major headaches for London’s corporate real estate operators, who face years of painful adjustment to the new future of work. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 21 Nov. 2023 Many banks and other financial platforms avoid doing business with these industries altogether. Tara Siegel Bernard, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023 Better to stomp strategically around the peripheries of the Con, where black cars rolled up to the V.I.P. entrance, or to abandon the Caesars complex altogether for the Four Seasons. Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2023 On Thursday, the territory was plunged into near-total blackout, and the updates stopped flowing altogether. Hajar Harb, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
Noun
According to my calculations, the White House methodology yields the absurd conclusion that eliminating the corporate tax altogether would boost annual household wages by up to $20,000. Jason Furman, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2017 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'altogether.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb and Noun

Middle English altogedere, from al all + togedere together

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of altogether was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near altogether

Cite this Entry

“Altogether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altogether. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

altogether

adverb
al·​to·​geth·​er
ˌȯl-tə-ˈget͟h-ər
1
: wholly, thoroughly
an altogether different problem
2
: with everything taken into account : in all
the bill came to $25 altogether
3
: on the whole
altogether their efforts were successful

More from Merriam-Webster on altogether

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