Definition of entirenext

entire

2 of 2

adverb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word entire distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of entire are all, total, and whole. While all these words mean "including everything or everyone without exception," entire may suggest a state of completeness or perfection to which nothing can be added.

the entire population was wiped out

How is all related to other words for entire?

All may equal whole, entire, or total.

all proceeds go to charity

When could total be used to replace entire?

The synonyms total and entire are sometimes interchangeable, but total implies that everything has been counted, weighed, measured, or considered.

the total number of people present

Where would whole be a reasonable alternative to entire?

The meanings of whole and entire largely overlap; however, whole implies that nothing has been omitted, ignored, abated, or taken away.

read the whole book

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of entire
Adjective
This theft rug-pulls the entire star, causing the core to collapse. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026 By 2021, an entire generation of women had grown up with some access to education. Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026 Fortunately, Gorbachev would drop his objections to SDI in time for both men to sign a landmark treaty in 1987 that abolished all intermediate range nuclear arms in Europe and made the entire world safer. Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026 Our claim is that aging is not so much molecular damage as a remodeling of the entire cell society. Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for entire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entire
Adjective
  • The 2024-25 Kansas Gatorade player of the year last season as a freshman earned first-team all-Big Ten and AVCA all-Pacific Region honors.
    Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The new release combines observations collected during eROSITA's first three all-sky scans over 556 days, allowing astronomers to detect increasingly faint X-ray sources that previous surveys missed.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • When mortgage defaults started going up, the whole system began to unwind.
    Kif Leswing, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Could the network use the money saved from that to buy the handful of new games from a 20-team field and keep the whole thing?
    Chris Vannini, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • Accessible only by boat and completely untouched, CNN’s Leroy Ah Ben explores this gem known mostly to locals.
    Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • When the researchers removed the neurons, the heart stopped functioning completely.
    Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Each spouse generally owns an undivided one-half interest in community assets.
    Miranda Marquit, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Aug. 2026
  • And that, the imperfections of both these teams, and the sense that absolutely anything could happen in Atlanta, is another reason to think that England versus Argentina — at 3pm ET (8pm BST) on Wednesday — should get your undivided attention.
    Stuart James, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Adjective
  • Howard County initially approved permits for the project but revoked them in February 2026, when construction was nearly complete.
    Adam Thompson, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Of course, no proper French meal would be complete without wine.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • His fifth curled through the legs of Tarik Muharemovic and perfectly to Joshua Zirkzee’s feet for his first-time finish.
    Cerys Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • A little bit funny, a lot cheesy and completely, unabashedly earnest, her Liz is — like moms everywhere — at once a perfectly ordinary woman and the center of the universe.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • During the height of that conflict, which had 42 days of active combat, the US sent six aircraft carriers to the region from a total fleet of 15.
    Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • For students from outside of Arizona, tuition is more than $35,000 and the total cost of attendance is around $60,000 before scholarships.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Adverb
  • The Puerto Rican boxer had brain surgery but never fully recovered from his injuries, identified as a large subdural hematoma, and was in a persistent vegetative state.
    Matt Moret, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Based on the state’s funding formula, the district is only 70% fully funded, down from 73% last year.
    Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Entire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entire. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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