total
English meaning: Total
Definition
An amount obtained by the addition of smaller amounts.
Example
“A total of £145 was raised by the bring-and-buy stall.”
Another example: “The bill came to a total of forty pounds.”
Usage — When, Where & How
Used as a noun for a sum reached by addition, and adjectivally to mean 'complete' or 'absolute' (e.g. 'total chaos'). Common in maths, finance, sport scores and everyday speech. As a verb, 'to total' means to add up or, informally in US English, to wreck a vehicle.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Medieval Latin 'totalis', from Latin 'totus' meaning 'whole, entire'; entered English in the late 14th century.
Synonyms
Antonyms / Opposites
Related Words
- align
- turnout
- residing
- forested
- voter
- eclipse
- households
- offense
- submerged
- land
Common Collocations
- grand total
- total amount
- in total
- sum total
- total cost
- running total
Word Forms
total (n, adj & v); totals; totalled/totaled; totalling/totaling; totally (adv)
Word Tools
Tools & Calculators
15% of 200 = 30 · 15 is 7.5% of 200
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
CC-licensed · free to useVideo
Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B