the sum of
phrase
1
: an amount of (money)
I paid the sum of $500.
2
: the result of (adding two or more numbers together)
The sum of 5 and 7 is 12
3
: all there is of : the whole amount of
Working odd summer jobs has been the sum of my experience so far.
Examples of the sum of in a Sentence
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But together, the whole is blander than the sum of its parts—a subtle banality humans can often implicitly sense.
—
Sam MacDonald,
Scientific American,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for the sum of
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Sam MacDonald,
Scientific American,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for the sum of
Cite this Entry
“The sum of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20sum%20of. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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