sum

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: an indefinite or specified amount of money
2
: the whole amount : aggregate
3
: the utmost degree : summit
reached the sum of human happiness
4
a
: a summary of the chief points or thoughts : summation
the sum of this criticism followsC. W. Hendel
b
: gist
the sum and substance of an argument
5
a(1)
: the result of adding numbers
the sum of 5 and 7 is 12
(2)
: the limit of the sum of the first n terms of an infinite series as n increases indefinitely
b
: numbers to be added
broadly : a problem in arithmetic
summability noun
summable adjective

sum

2 of 3

verb

summed; summing

transitive verb

1
: to calculate the sum of : total
2

intransitive verb

: to reach a sum : amount

sum

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural sums
the basic monetary unit of Uzbekistan see Money Table
Phrases
in sum
: in short : briefly

Examples of sum in a Sentence

Verb can sum figures in his head faster than I can punch them into a calculator
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Wow's reflective thoughts were met with mixed reactions, drummer and America's Got Talent contestant Timothy Fletcher seemed to sum everyone's feelings up the best. Stacy Lambe, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023 The company’s chief scientist, Bill Dally, managed to sum it all up in a single slide during his keynote address to the IEEE’s Hot Chips 2023 symposium in Silicon Valley on high-performance microprocessors last week. IEEE Spectrum, 7 Sep. 2023 Dodgers catcher Will Smith may have summed it up best, noting that at age 29, Ohtani seems to be hitting his prime. Tim Booth, BostonGlobe.com, 11 July 2023 To sum it up from a medical standpoint: Yes, donut pillows can help relieve pain. Good Housekeeping, 9 Aug. 2023 Your contract sum with a builder should be approximately 80 percent of this number. Tim Carter, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2023 To sum it up, providing your dog with the best possible nutrition is crucial for their overall well-being. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2023 Hears sum rye, humerus pros eye rote won idol sundae mourning our discreetly four nun butt deer auld ewe. 6. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 July 2023 That about sums it up for some really simple, easy-to-tie knots and hitches. Craig Caudill, Field & Stream, 12 July 2023
Noun
Of that sum, album sales comprise 88,000, SEA units comprise 9,000 (equaling 12.95 million on-demand official streams of the set’s six tracks) and TEA units comprise 3,000. Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 17 Sep. 2023 The kingdom has spent considerable sums on ventures ranging from the futuristic city known as Neom to the acquisition of top-flight footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo for its domestic league. Grant Smith, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023 That includes allegedly paying huge sums for prime placement in Safari. Adi Robertson, The Verge, 12 Sep. 2023 Such staggering sums insulate legislators from their constituents due to a near-guarantee they will be reelected. Sabrina Haake, Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2023 In sum: Wisconsin is functionally not a real democracy in which each vote counts equally. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 8 Sep. 2023 Lil Wayne settled with the record label for an undisclosed sum in 2018. Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2023 In sum, 11 players graded out better than a 70 overall, per PFF (led by Robinson who earned a 90.4). Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 5 Sep. 2023 That sum is likely to grow significantly as the cases unfold over the coming months. Yiwen Lu, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2023 See More

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

Noun (1)

Middle English summe, from Anglo-French sume, somme, from Latin summa, from feminine of summus highest; akin to Latin super over — more at over

Noun (2)

Uzbek so'm ruble

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1993, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near sum

Cite this Entry

“Sum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sum. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

sum

1 of 2 noun
1
: an indefinite or specified amount of money
2
: the whole amount
the sum of your experience
3
a
: a summary of the chief points or thoughts
b
: the main point
the sum and substance of an argument
4
a
: the result of adding numbers
the sum of 5 and 7 is 12
b
: a problem in arithmetic

sum

2 of 2 verb
summed; summing
1
: to calculate the sum of : total
2
: to reach a sum : amount
usually used with to

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