Standard Lemma guide

total

adj · noun · verb · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈtəʊ.tl̩/
  • General-American: tōʹtl
  • General-American: /ˈtoʊ.tl̩/
  • General-American: [thoʊ̯ɾɫ]
  • General-American: [thɔɾɫ]
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊtəl
  • CMU ARPABET: T OW1 T AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Entire; relating to the whole of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The total book is rubbish from start to finish. The total number of votes cast is 3,270.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Complete; absolute.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He is a total failure.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Defined on all possible inputs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • The Ackermann function is one of the simplest and earliest examples of a total computable function that is not primitive recursive.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Left total: Such that for every x in X there is a y in Y with x R y.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Such that any two elements are comparable, i.e. for all a and b, either a ≤ b, or b ≤ a.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: connected, complete, strongly connected

6

noun

Meaning 6

An amount obtained by the addition of smaller amounts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • A total of £145 was raised by the bring-and-buy stall.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Sum.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • The total of 4, 5 and 6 is 15.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To add up; to calculate the sum of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • When we totalled the takings, we always got a different figure.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sum

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To equal a total of; to amount to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • That totals seven times so far.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: make

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To demolish; to wreck completely. (from total loss)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, slang, transitive

Examples

  • Honey, I’m OK, but I’ve totaled the car.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: demolish, trash, wreck

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To amount to; to add up to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • It totals nearly a pound.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

adjective satellite

Meaning 12

constituting the full quantity or extent; complete

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an entire town devastated by an earthquake
  • gave full attention
  • a total failure

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: entire, full

Antonyms: none provided

13

adjective satellite

Meaning 13

complete in extent or degree and in every particular

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a full game
  • a total eclipse
  • a total disaster

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: full

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

the whole amount

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sum, totality, aggregate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: whole, unit

15

noun

Meaning 15

a quantity obtained by the addition of a group of numbers

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sum, amount

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: quantity

Narrower terms: grand total, subtotal

16

verb

Meaning 16

damage beyond the point of repair

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • My son totaled our new car
  • the rock star totals his guitar at every concert

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: damage

17

verb

Meaning 17

determine the sum of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Add all the people in this town to those of the neighboring town

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tot, tot up, sum, sum up, summate, tote up, add, add together, tally, add up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: count, number, enumerate, numerate

18

verb

Meaning 18

add up in number or quantity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The bills amounted to $2,000
  • The bill came to $2,000

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: number, add up, come, amount

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: be

Narrower terms: work out, outnumber, average, average out, make

History

Etymology

From Middle English total, from Old French total, from Medieval Latin tōtālis, from tōtus (“all, whole, entire”) + -ālis, the former element of unknown origin. Perhaps related to Oscan touto (“community, city-state”), Umbrian 𐌕𐌏𐌕𐌀𐌌 (totam, “tribe”, acc.), Old English þēod (“a nation, people, tribe”), from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh2 (“people”). More at English Dutch, English thede.

Across languages

Translations

232 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: общ (obšt) — entire
  • Bulgarian: цялостен (cjalosten) — entire
  • Chinese Mandarin: 全體的 /全体的 (quántǐ de) — entire
  • Chinese Mandarin: 整個 /整个 (zhěnggè) — entire
  • Chinese Mandarin: 全部的 (quánbù de) — entire
  • Czech: celý — entire
  • Dutch: totaal — entire
  • Dutch: totale — entire
  • Dutch: geheel — entire
  • Dutch: gehele — entire
  • Finnish: koko — entire
  • Finnish: kokonais- — entire
  • Finnish: yhteensä — entire
  • French: entier — entire
  • French: tout — entire
  • French: total — entire
  • Galician: total — entire
  • German: ganz — entire
  • German: gesamt — entire
  • Greek: ολικός (olikós) — entire
  • Greek: συνολικός (synolikós) — entire
  • Hungarian: összes — entire
  • Hungarian: egész — entire
  • Ido: totala — entire
  • Indonesian: semesta — entire
  • Italian: totale — entire
  • Italian: intero — entire
  • Japanese: 全部 (zenbu) — entire
  • Northern Kurdish: tev — entire
  • Northern Kurdish: hemû — entire
  • Northern Kurdish: giş — entire
  • Malayalam: ആകെ (āke) — entire
  • Malayalam: മൊത്തം (mottaṁ) — entire
  • Māori: tapeke — entire
  • Polish: całkowity — entire
  • Portuguese: total — entire
  • Russian: це́лый (célyj) — entire
  • Russian: весь (vesʹ) — entire
  • Spanish: total — entire
  • Swedish: hel — entire
  • Swedish: total — entire
  • Telugu: అన్ని (anni) — entire
  • Turkish: tüm — entire
  • Turkish: bütün — entire
  • Vietnamese: tổng cộng — entire
  • Vietnamese: toàn bộ — entire
  • Bulgarian: сумарен (sumaren) — complete
  • Bulgarian: тотален (totalen) — complete
  • Chinese Mandarin: 完全 (wánquán) — complete
  • Czech: naprostý — complete
  • Czech: totální — complete
  • Dutch: compleet — complete
  • Dutch: complete — complete
  • Dutch: volledig — complete
  • Dutch: volledige — complete
  • Dutch: geheel — complete
  • Dutch: gehele — complete
  • Dutch: totale — complete
  • Dutch: totaal — complete
  • Dutch: totaal- — complete
  • Finnish: täydellinen — complete
  • Finnish: täysi — complete
  • Finnish: totaalinen — complete
  • French: total — complete
  • Galician: completo — complete
  • German: komplett — complete
  • German: total — complete
  • Greek: παντελής (pantelís) — complete
  • Greek: πλήρης (plíris) — complete
  • Hungarian: teljes — complete
  • Indonesian: mutlak — complete
  • Japanese: 完全な (kanzen-na) — complete
  • Northern Kurdish: tev — complete
  • Northern Kurdish: temam — complete
  • Latvian: pilnīgs — complete
  • Polish: bezwzględny — complete
  • Polish: całkowity — complete
  • Polish: totalny — complete
  • Polish: zupełny — complete
  • Portuguese: completo — complete
  • Russian: по́лный (pólnyj) — complete
  • Russian: тота́льный (totálʹnyj) — complete
  • Spanish: total — complete
  • Swedish: hel — complete
  • Swedish: total — complete
  • Telugu: పూర్తి (pūrti) — complete
  • Turkish: tüm — complete
  • Turkish: bütün — complete
  • Vietnamese: hoàn toàn — complete
  • Vietnamese: toàn tập — complete
  • Arabic: مَجْمُوع (majmūʕ) — amount
  • Assamese: মুঠ (muth) — amount
  • Asturian: total — amount
  • Bashkir: нәтижә (nətijə) — amount
  • Bulgarian: сума (suma) — amount
  • Catalan: total — amount
  • Chinese Mandarin: 總計 /总计 (zǒngjì) — amount
  • Czech: úhrn — amount
  • Danish: total — amount
  • Dutch: totaal — amount
  • Esperanto: totalo — amount
  • Finnish: summa — amount
  • Finnish: kokonaismäärä — amount
  • Finnish: yhteismäärä — amount
  • French: total — amount
  • Galician: total — amount
  • German: Gesamtbetrag — amount
  • German: Gesamtsumme — amount
  • Greek: σύνολο (sýnolo) — amount
  • Hungarian: végösszeg — amount
  • Indonesian: jumlah — amount
  • Italian: totale — amount
  • Japanese: 総計 (sōkei) — amount
  • Japanese: 合計 (gōkei) — amount
  • Korean: 합계 (hapgye) — amount
  • Northern Kurdish: tevayî — amount
  • Latin: totus — amount
  • Latin: solidus — amount
  • Malay: jumlah — amount
  • Malayalam: മൊത്തം (mottaṁ) — amount
  • Manx: ard-sym — amount
  • Māori: tapeke — amount
  • Persian: کل (kol) — amount
  • Polish: suma — amount
  • Portuguese: total — amount
  • Russian: ито́г (itóg) — amount
  • Russian: су́мма (súmma) — amount
  • Spanish: total — amount
  • Spanish: montante — amount
  • Swahili: idadi — amount
  • Swedish: summa — amount
  • Tagalog: kabuoan — amount
  • Tamil: மொத்தம் (mottam) — amount
  • Telugu: మొత్తము (mottamu) — amount
  • Turkish: tutar — amount
  • Ugaritic: 𐎚𐎂𐎎𐎗 (tgmr) — amount
  • Ukrainian: пі́дсумок (pídsumok) — amount
  • Ukrainian: су́ма (súma) — amount
  • Vietnamese: tổng — amount
  • Vietnamese: tổng cộng — amount
  • Arabic: مَجْمُوع (majmūʕ) — sum
  • Azerbaijani: cəm — sum
  • Bashkir: нәтижә (nətijə) — sum
  • Bulgarian: сбор (sbor) — sum
  • Catalan: suma — sum
  • Chinese Mandarin: 總數 /总数 (zǒngshù) — sum
  • Chinese Mandarin: 總和 /总和 (zǒnghé) — sum
  • Czech: součet — sum
  • Dutch: totaal — sum
  • Dutch: som — sum
  • Esperanto: sumo — sum
  • Finnish: summa — sum
  • French: somme — sum
  • German: Summe — sum
  • Greek: άθροισμα (áthroisma) — sum
  • Hungarian: összeg — sum
  • Ido: sumo — sum
  • Indonesian: keseluruhan — sum
  • Italian: somma — sum
  • Japanese: 総額 (sōgaku) — sum
  • Japanese: 和 (wa) — sum
  • Japanese: 総和 (sōwa) — sum
  • Korean: 합계 (hapgye) — sum
  • Northern Kurdish: tevayî — sum
  • Latin: somma — sum
  • Latin: summa — sum
  • Plautdietsch: Somm — sum
  • Polish: suma — sum
  • Portuguese: soma — sum
  • Russian: су́мма (súmma) — sum
  • Serbo-Croatian: zbroj — sum
  • Spanish: suma — sum
  • Swahili: jumla — sum
  • Swedish: summa — sum
  • Tagalog: kabuoan — sum
  • Telugu: లెక్క (lekka) — sum
  • Turkish: toplam — sum
  • Vietnamese: tổng — sum
  • Bulgarian: събирам (sǎbiram) — to add up
  • Catalan: totalitzar — to add up
  • Dutch: bijeentellen — to add up
  • Dutch: optellen — to add up
  • Finnish: laskea yhteen — to add up
  • Finnish: summata — to add up
  • French: totaliser — to add up
  • German: aufaddieren — to add up
  • German: zusammenaddieren — to add up
  • German: zusammennehmen — to add up
  • Greek: αθροίζω (athroízo) — to add up
  • Indonesian: menjumlahkan — to add up
  • Irish: cuir le chéile — to add up
  • Northern Kurdish: tevandin — to add up
  • Māori: tapeke — to add up
  • Polish: podsumowywać — to add up
  • Polish: podsumować — to add up
  • Telugu: కూడుట (kūḍuṭa) — to add up
  • Bulgarian: възлизам (vǎzlizam) — to equal after calculation
  • Catalan: totalitzar — to equal after calculation
  • Dutch: uitkomen op — to equal after calculation
  • Dutch: gelijk zijn aan — to equal after calculation
  • Finnish: olla — to equal after calculation
  • Finnish: tehdä — to equal after calculation
  • Indonesian: seluruhnya — to equal after calculation
  • Northern Kurdish: tev bûn — to equal after calculation
  • Polish: równać się — to equal after calculation
  • Polish: wynosić — to equal after calculation
  • Polish: wynieść — to equal after calculation
  • Telugu: సరాసరి (sarāsari) — to equal after calculation
  • Dutch: in de prak rijden — to demolish
  • Finnish: tuhota — to demolish
  • German: schrotten — to demolish
  • Greek: καταστρέφω (katastréfo) — to demolish
  • Greek: κατεδαφίζω (katedafízo) — to demolish
  • Indonesian: menghancurkan penuh — to demolish
  • Irish: scrios — to demolish
  • Northern Kurdish: ruxandin — to demolish
  • Northern Kurdish: hilweşandin — to demolish
  • Polish: kasować — to demolish
  • Polish: skasować — to demolish
  • Spanish: hacer pelota — to demolish
  • Spanish: inutilizar — to demolish
  • Swedish: totalkvadda — to demolish
  • Dutch: uitkomen op — (intransitive) to amount to
  • Dutch: gelijk zijn aan — (intransitive) to amount to
  • Finnish: olla (yhteensä) — (intransitive) to amount to
  • Finnish: tehdä — (intransitive) to amount to
  • Greek: ανέρχομαι (anérchomai) — (intransitive) to amount to
  • Indonesian: berjumlah — (intransitive) to amount to
  • Māori: tapeke — (intransitive) to amount to
  • Polish: równać się — (intransitive) to amount to
  • Polish: wynosić — (intransitive) to amount to
  • Polish: wynieść — (intransitive) to amount to
Real reading context

total in complete knowledge articles