sum total

noun

1
: a total arrived at through the counting of sums
2
: total result : totality

Examples of sum total in a Sentence

in this case the sum total of physical evidence that a crime has been committed wouldn't fill a thimble
Recent Examples on the Web Apple’s portfolio picked up a sum total of zero Macs in the critical last three months. Ewan Spence, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2023 Despite the greater sum total of wealth of pre-modern China, and so the greater surplus which the rentier elites could tax or steal, most of that wealth vis-a-vis Mongolia or Central Asia was realized in the form of people. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2010 That means its stock is valued at a sharp discount to the sum total of Credit Suisse’s hard recoverable assets that can be liquidated to cover debt in the event of collapse — usually a sign of extreme distress. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2022 Last weekend, the sum total of all movies grossed a bleak of $38 million in the U.S. and Canada in three days, nearly a low for the year. Ryan Faughnderstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2022 What has received far less discussion than the outrageousness of her daily utterances is what the sum total of them portends for America under a Republican majority with Greene in the vanguard. Robert Draper, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2022 Although modern civil rights laws are principally antidiscrimination laws, that should not be their sum total. WIRED, 6 Oct. 2022 Globally, hydrogen is still a minuscule part of the global energy mix, with the sum total of hydrogen electrolyzers in operation last year producing roughly 1GW of power. Bernhard Warner, Fortune, 14 June 2022 The sum total of my experience: two half-day lessons three years ago, and then another half-day two years ago. Outside Online, 20 May 2022

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sum total was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near sum total

Cite this Entry

“Sum total.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sum%20total. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sum total

noun
: total result : totality
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