entire

1 of 2

adjective

1
: having no element or part left out : whole
was alone the entire day
2
: complete in degree : total
their entire devotion to their family
3
a
: consisting of one piece
c
: intact
strove to keep the collection entire
4
: not castrated
5
: having the margin continuous or free from indentations
an entire leaf
entire adverb
entireness noun

entire

2 of 2

noun

1
2
archaic : the whole : entirety
Choose the Right Synonym for entire

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

perfect, whole, entire, intact mean not lacking or faulty in any particular.

perfect implies the soundness and the excellence of every part, element, or quality of a thing frequently as an unattainable or theoretical state.

a perfect set of teeth

whole suggests a completeness or perfection that can be sought, gained, or regained.

felt like a whole person again after vacation

entire implies perfection deriving from integrity, soundness, or completeness of a thing.

the entire Beethoven corpus

intact implies retention of perfection of a thing in its natural or original state.

the boat survived the storm intact

Examples of entire in a Sentence

Adjective The war affected an entire generation of young Americans. The fence runs along the entire length of the building. She has dedicated her entire life to helping others.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The entire entertainment industry may be moving into a new era where robots can replace hosts, drones can manage fireworks shows and robots have even conducted orchestras. Gideon Kimbrell, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Angel is intent on destroying the entire world, sucking the entire world into the Hellmouth. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2024 Over the next six decades, the court condoned an entire code of race law and policies designed to segregate, marginalize, exclude and subjugate descendants of slavery across every realm of American life. Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 March is typically the snowiest month of the year for Denver, but this storm could bring more than an entire month’s worth of snow in just three days. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 The United Nations and humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned of the risk of famine in Gaza, where almost the entire population is dependent on food aid, and Gaza health officials said last week that at least 20 people have died of malnutrition and dehydration. Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Abbott, the former vice president of engineering for Apple’s Cloud Services division, joined GM in May 2023 to take over managing GM's entire software systems, including those in its vehicles. Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024 Instead of covering up one’s entire head with a rug, barbers now aim to meld a hairpiece with the strands that remain, providing a more natural and seamless appearance. John Ortved, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024 Kelly has spent his entire 27-year career with the same South End ladder truck. Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
But who needs a bench when your entire starting five scores in double figures for the first time in 108 games? Advertisement USC transfer Reese Waters overcame early trouble (and only 3½ first-half minutes) to finish with 15 after also scoring exactly 15 in his first two games in an Aztecs uniform. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2023 The song brought his total career Top 10 count to 12, with 72 total entires. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2023 In addition, Buffett landed 15 entries on the Adult Contemporary charts — including a No. 1 with Margaritaville in 1977 and 17 entires on the top country albums chart, with eight top 10s and a No. 1 with License to Chill. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 2 Sep. 2023 From Beyonce to Madonna, designers David and Phillipe Blond have spent almost two decades shaping fashion history When Beyoncé stepped on stage in a bodysuit back in 2014, her entire was encrusted in jewels, complete with 3D nipples. Kyle Rice, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2022 As storms and fires grow stronger in a warming world, so must the entire of infrastructure, including roads, power, buildings, and people need to be made resilient enough to withstand disasters. Camille Squires, Quartz, 3 Sep. 2021 As of 2021, the media bail bond for a felony is $10,000 — an amount that is nearly an entire's year worth of income for the people who can't afford it. Li Cohen, CBS News, 23 July 2021 Frequently in this production, the entire back wall becomes a movie screen, sometimes capturing live scenes on or just off stage. Brian Schaefer, Bloomberg.com, 6 May 2020 Vanore, a 37-year-old television producer, had an entire row to herself on the United Airlines flight last Thursday from Newark to Los Angeles. Maxine Joselow, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entire.' 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

Adjective

Middle English enter, entier, entire, from Anglo-French enter, entier, from Latin integer, literally, untouched, from in- + tangere to touch — more at tangent entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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

Dictionary Entries Near entire

Cite this Entry

“Entire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entire. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

entire

adjective
en·​tire
in-ˈtī(ə)r,
ˈen-ˌtī(ə)r
1
: having no element or part left out : complete
2
: being to the fullest degree : total
her entire devotion
3
: having the margin continuous and free from indentations
an entire leaf
entire adverb
entirely adverb
entireness noun

Legal Definition

entire

adjective
en·​tire
: not capable of being divided into independent parts (as promises) : constituting an undivided unit
an entire contract
compare divisible, severable

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