total

verb

totaled or totalled; totaling or totalling

transitive verb

1

: to add up : compute

2

: to amount to : number

3

: to make a total wreck of : demolish

specifically : to damage so badly that the cost of repairs exceeds the market value of the vehicle

totaled the car

Synonyms of total

• number
• average
• aggregate

Examples of total in a Sentence

He carefully totaled the bill.

two and two total four

Recent Examples on the Web

Meta bought mailers and digital ads totaling over $966,000. —Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 3 June 2026

This sample of meals and snacks totals about 120 grams of protein and 85 grams of fiber in one day—all from plants. —Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 3 June 2026

Kennedy has also posted a video of himself doing leg presses reportedly totaling 720 pounds. —Paula Chesley, STAT, 3 June 2026

Bazzana and Brayan Rocchio each had a sacrifice fly for the Guardians, who totaled 12 hits and scored their most runs since May 17. —Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1716, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing total

• come as a (complete/total) surprise
• grand total
• sum total
• the sum total
• total depravity
• total eclipse
• total recall

Rhymes for total

• motile
• anecdotal
• hypocotyl
• sacerdotal
• subtotal

Kids Definition

total

1 of 3 adjective

to·​tal ˈtōt-ᵊl 

1

: of or relating to the whole of something

a total eclipse of the sun

2

: making up the whole

the total amount

3

: being such to the fullest degree

total ruin

4

: making use of every means to do something

total war

total

2 of 3 noun

1

: a product of addition : sum

2

: an entire amount

total

3 of 3 verb

totaled or totalled; totaling or totalling

1

: add sense 3

2

: to amount to

donations totaled $120

3

: to make a total wreck of

totaled the car