total

1 of 4

adjective

to·​tal ˈtō-tᵊl How to pronounce total (audio)
1
: comprising or constituting a whole : entire
the total amount
2
: absolute, utter
a total failure
a total stranger
3
: involving a complete and unified effort especially to achieve a desired effect
total war
total theater

total

2 of 4

noun

1
: a product of addition : sum
2
: an entire quantity : amount

total

3 of 4

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

total

4 of 4

adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for total

whole, entire, total, all mean including everything or everyone without exception.

whole implies that nothing has been omitted, ignored, abated, or taken away.

read the whole book

entire may suggest a state of completeness or perfection to which nothing can be added.

the entire population was wiped out

total implies that everything has been counted, weighed, measured, or considered.

the total number of people present

all may equal whole, entire, or total.

all proceeds go to charity

Examples of total in a Sentence

Adjective a total lack of support a total eclipse of the sun He demanded total control of the project. What was the total amount of the bill? the total number of words The country has a total population of about 100 million. Noun a total of 25 square miles that's the total for our wheat harvest this year Verb He carefully totaled the bill. two and two total four
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
McConkey is an even easier case to make, now doing well himself in the NFL, and responsible for 119 catches, 1,687 receiving yards and 18 total touchdowns over those three years. Seth Emerson, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025 Numbers provided by Cincinnati Public Schools show that the school district had 4,326 homeless students last year, representing a 77% increase from a decade prior, despite total student enrollment increasing by only 538 students over the same period of time. Elizabeth B. Kim, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
There is a total of 55 units, 46 of which will be designated as affordable housing with rent starting as low as $469 per month, and Section 8 vouchers are accepted. Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 4 Oct. 2025 On Tuesday, a total of 300 federal agents stormed a South Side apartment building that Department of Homeland Security officials say harbored criminals. Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
Against the Rams, the Eagles scored touchdowns in two up-tempo drives that totaled at least eight no-huddle plays. Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025 First takeaways since season-opener For the first time in 15 quarters and over a month of real-time, the Charlotte 49ers’ defense forced a takeaway, totaling four on the game. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
Adverb
Collecting three weeks total atop the Billboard 200, Eternal Sunshine got a second life earlier this year with a deluxe edition released a few months after the November premiere of Wicked. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2025 Hot 100 and 45 weeks total on the chart. Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 25 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for total

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin totalis, from Latin totus whole, entire

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1716, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1601, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Total.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/total. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

total

1 of 3 adjective
to·​tal ˈtōt-ᵊl How to pronounce total (audio)
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
2
: to amount to
donations totaled $120
3
: to make a total wreck of
totaled the car

More from Merriam-Webster on total

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