totality

noun

to·​tal·​i·​ty tō-ˈta-lə-tē 

plural totalities

1

: an aggregate amount : sum, whole

the totality of human knowledge

2

a

: the quality or state of being total : wholeness

This … looks at the problem globally, in its totality

—Philip Landrigan, quoted at NPR.org

b

: the phase of an eclipse during which it is total : the state of total eclipse

Synonyms of totality

• total
• sum
• whole

Examples of totality in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Paradoxically, his quest for totality entailed a diminishment—of size, of scale, of material. —Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026

Shooting with a filter also requires its manual removal during totality — or, when the sun is completely hidden by the moon — meaning a hand must enter the frame and interrupt the shot. —Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026

The most recent of these was just two years ago, when eastern and central swathes of the United States experienced the path of totality, the phenomenon that casts daytime into eerie midnight blackness for unnerving lengths of time. —Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2026

The crew experienced a solar eclipse, including 54 minutes of totality where the sun’s light was blocked by Earth, spied planets, photographed the Milky Way and even witnessed flashes of light as space rocks slammed into the moon. —Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing totality

• in its/their totality

Rhymes for totality

• banality
• bestiality
• brutality
• carnality
• centrality
• chirality
• duality
• fatality
• finality
• formality
• frugality
• legality

Kids Definition

totality

noun

to·​tal·​i·​ty tō-ˈtal-ət-ē 

plural totalities

1

: a combined amount : sum, whole

2

: the quality or state of being total : entirety

rejected the scheme in its totality