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total

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noun

total

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word total distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of total are all, entire, and whole. While all these words mean "including everything or everyone without exception," total implies that everything has been counted, weighed, measured, or considered.

the total number of people present

How does the word all relate to other synonyms for total?

All may equal whole, entire, or total.

all proceeds go to charity

When can entire be used instead of total?

In some situations, the words entire and total are roughly equivalent. However, entire may suggest a state of completeness or perfection to which nothing can be added.

the entire population was wiped out

Where would whole be a reasonable alternative to total?

While in some cases nearly identical to total, 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 total
Adjective
Transactions and total value for luxury goods rose 30% year on year in the first half of 2025, Choi said. Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025 Add enough additional broth to the drippings in the measuring cup to make 2 cups total liquid. Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
The books are betting that Chuba Hubbard’s return to the lineup will diminish his totals, which makes sense. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2025 Businesses owned by white women received 2% of the total. Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
Simpson has totaled 1,689 yards through the air with 16 touchdowns and just one interception, while also rushing for two scores. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025 In total, the couple managed to book four round-trip flights totaling a whopping 1,028,000 KrisFlyer points. Chris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for total
Recent Examples of Synonyms for total
Adjective
  • But as this story makes clear, absolute immunity has bred a culture of impunity that leaves them above the very law they’re meant to enforce.
    Micah Kimball, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
  • With the surrealist qualities similar to Rene Magritte and the use of light that evokes a certain stillness associated with Edward Hopper, Smith’s technical practice was a quest for absolute perfection, his wife said.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Welcome to the ninth edition of The Alternative Premier League Table, where each Thursday, Anantaajith Raghuraman analyses the entire division through a specific lens.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Gottlieb is also known as the unwitting godfather of the entire LSD counterculture.
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Footwear News’ global network of editors has carefully curated all product selections featured using our expansive brand knowledge and thorough research to find quality, long-lasting items.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Fowler and Zietlow also renew the Chuba Hubbard-Rico Dowdle debate and give a thorough preview of Carolina’s Week 8 matchup with the Buffalo Bills.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • So how should regular people think about all the huge sums of money churning through the industry?
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
  • No more shooting, no more Death, no more vast and unsustainable sums of money spent.
    Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Since the club’s formation in 1902, Real Madrid, like their rivals Barcelona, have been owned by ‘socios’, or club members, who number around 100,000 today.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Migaloo belongs to the east Australian humpback population, which was believed to number around 17,000 in 2012.
    Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Its boxy fit and hip-skimming length call to mind the actress’s style, while its fall-ready texture adds a trendy twist to basic outerwear.
    Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
  • But adding a refreshing cucumber to your beverage offers an extra hydration boost, thanks to the veggie's high water content.
    Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Drummond's proposals to the court to sharply limit litter's use as fertilizer would amount to a ban on the practice in the river's watershed; this and the cost of removing all litter from the watershed would ruin poultry growers throughout the region, defendants argue.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2025
  • In the end, the explorers destroyed themselves and their ships and ruined the lives of so many indigenous people after setting up colonies in places like Tierra del Fuego.
    Charlie Markbreiter, Them., 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • That said, each tint is said to offer sheer, buildable coverage with the right touch of color.
    Tatayana Yomary, Essence, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Naomi Watts also went sheer in a daring look from Valentino’s spring 2025 couture collection, which featured a voluminous skirt with a lacy top.
    Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Total.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/total. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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