Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense totals, present participle totalling, past tense, past participle totalled
1. countable noun
A total is the number that you get when you add several numbers together or when you count how many things there are in a group.
The companies have a total of 1,776 employees. [+ of]
Synonyms: sum, mass, entirety, grand total More Synonyms of total
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
The total number or cost of something is the number or cost that you get when you add together or count allthe parts in it.
There could begin to be a decline in the total number of babies born each year.
The total cost of the project would be more than $240 million.
Synonyms: entire, full, whole, complete More Synonyms of total
3.
See in total
4. verb
If several numbers or things total a certain figure, that figure is the total of all the numbers or all the things.
The unit's exports will total $85 million this year. [VERB amount]
They will compete for prizes totalling nearly £3000. [VERB amount]
Synonyms: amount to, make, come to, reach More Synonyms of total
5. verb
When you total a set of numbers or objects, you add them all together.
They haven't totalled the exact figures. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: add up, work out, sum up, compute More Synonyms of total
6. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
You can use total to emphasize that something is as great in extent, degree, or amount as it possibly can be.
[emphasis]
You were a total failure if you hadn't married by the time you were about twenty-three.
There was an almost total lack of management control.
Why should we trust a total stranger?
I have total confidence that things will change.
totallyadverb [ADVERB adjective/adverb, ADVERB with verb]
Young people want something totally different from the old ways.
The fire totally destroyed the top floor.
Synonyms: completely, entirely, absolutely, quite More Synonyms of total
More Synonyms of total
total in British English
(ˈtəʊtəl)
noun
1.
the whole, esp regarded as the complete sum of a number of parts
adjective
2.
complete; absolute
the evening was a total failure
a total eclipse
3. (prenominal)
being or related to a total
the total number of passengers
verbWord forms: -tals, -talling, -talledWord forms: US-tals, -taling or -taled
4. (whenintr, sometimes foll by to)
to amount
to total six pounds
5. (transitive)
to add up
to total a list of prices
6. (transitive) slang
to kill or badly injure (someone)
7. (transitive) mainly US
to damage (a vehicle) beyond repair
Derived forms
totally (ˈtotally)
adverb
Word origin
C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin tōtālis, from Latin tōtus all
total in American English
(ˈtoʊtəl)
adjective
1.
constituting the (or a) whole; entire; whole
2.
complete; utter
a total loss
noun
3.
the whole amount or number; sum; aggregate
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈtotaled or ˈtotalled, ˈtotaling or ˈtotalling
4.
to find the total of; add
5.
to equal a total of; add up to
6. US, Slang
to wreck completely; demolish
verb intransitive
7.
to amount (to) as a whole
SIMILAR WORDS: comˈplete, sum
Word origin
ME < MFr < ML totalis < L totus, all, whole < IE base *tēu-, to swell > thumb
COBUILD Collocations
total
overall total
record total
Examples of 'total' in a sentence
total
Vast sums have been paid with an almost total lack of checks and balances.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Yet this shows a total failure to grasp who picks up the pieces.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Also keeps a running total of your bill to avoid a shock at the end of the night.
The Sun (2016)
This means the total number of victims and offences could be much higher than the figures on the charge sheet.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Across the country the total figure is likely to be around 1billion.
The Sun (2017)
By the time he died this week, it felt like he was a total stranger.
The Sun (2017)
Trade business accounted for 52 per cent of its total sales last year.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Now I feel that our life together was a total lie.
The Sun (2016)
I didn't want to be just another man who added to the sum total of her sadness.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In total, 38 million were hit.
The Sun (2017)
Eight of these journeys totals about twenty hours.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was one of complete and total intent.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
There is no official government figure for the total.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The sum total of our collective sin speaks volumes to the world.
Christianity Today (2000)
The six guests in total that would have been there.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The costs of all operations added together give total cost burden.
Peter F. Drucker MANAGING FOR RESULTS (1986)
To lose in the first round would be a total failure.
The Sun (2006)
The proceeds totalled nearly half a million pounds.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Total strangers used to call me fat in the street.
The Sun (2013)
He was a total and complete stranger.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
There are no official figures about the total number of sufferers.
The Sun (2015)
The total cost structure of any business is likely to be scaled to the size of its largest resource.
Peter F. Drucker MANAGING FOR RESULTS (1986)
When completed, a total of nine million square metres will have been reclaimed.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Currently these accounted for less than 5 per cent of total group sales.
Tom Cannon Basic Marketing. Principles and Practice (1986)
The total amount is understood to be about 850,000 when interest is included.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The money recouped from their potential sales could total in excess of 15 million.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The total legal bill is said to be around 100million.
The Sun (2012)
The total journey takes about 17 hours in each direction.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Gone is the instinctive forward who needed just half a yard to inflict total damage while at Liverpool.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In total the group said 2.2 million current borrowers would be unable to get mortgages under the proposals.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
A total of 10 million will be spent on this pilot programme.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
For individual muscle group activities, the total time of exercise will depend upon the number of repetitions performed and the total number of exercises completed.
Lycholat, Tony Shape Your Body, Shape Your Life (1987)
The total for the whole of England and Wales will naturally be far higher.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
total
British English: total /ˈtəʊtl/ ADJECTIVE
The total number or cost of something is the number or cost that you get when you add together or count all the parts in it.
...the total cost of the project.
American English: total
Arabic: إِجْمَاليّ
Brazilian Portuguese: total
Chinese: 总的
Croatian: ukupan
Czech: celkový
Danish: total
Dutch: totaal
European Spanish: total
Finnish: kokonais-
French: total
German: völlig
Greek: συνολικός
Italian: totale
Japanese: 完全な
Korean: 전체의
Norwegian: total
Polish: całkowity
European Portuguese: total
Romanian: total
Russian: полный
Latin American Spanish: total
Swedish: total
Thai: โดยสมบูรณ์
Turkish: tam bütün
Ukrainian: загальний
Vietnamese: tổng
British English: total /ˈtəʊtl/ NOUN
A total is the number that you get when you add several numbers together or when you count how many things there are in a group.
The companies have a total of 1,776 employees.
American English: total
Arabic: إِجْمَاليّ
Brazilian Portuguese: total
Chinese: 总数
Croatian: ukupno
Czech: součet
Danish: samlet antal
Dutch: totaal
European Spanish: total
Finnish: kokonaismäärä
French: total
German: Summe
Greek: σύνολο
Italian: totale
Japanese: 合計
Korean: 합계
Norwegian: sum
Polish: suma
European Portuguese: total
Romanian: total
Russian: итог
Latin American Spanish: total
Swedish: summa
Thai: ผลรวม
Turkish: toplam
Ukrainian: сума
Vietnamese: tổng số
All related terms of 'total'
in total
If there are a number of things in total , there are that number when you count or add them all together.
sum total
The sum total of a number of things is all the things added or considered together . You often use this expression to indicate that you are disappointed because the total amount is rather small.
grand total
a final total including everything
total depth
Total depth is the downward length of a well , measured by the length of pipe which is needed to reach the bottom .
total heat
a thermodynamic property of a system equal to the sum of its internal energy and the product of its pressure and volume
total loss
A total loss is a situation in which an insured item is totally lost , destroyed , or damaged, and no money can be recovered .
total ratio
A ratio is a relationship between two things when it is expressed in numbers or amounts. For example, if there are ten boys and thirty girls in a room, the ratio of boys to girls is 1:3, or one to three.
overall total
A total is the number that you get when you add several numbers together or when you count how many things there are in a group.
record total
A total is the number that you get when you add several numbers together or when you count how many things there are in a group.
running total
a running total is a total which changes because numbers keep being added to it as something progresses
total amount
The amount of something is how much there is, or how much you have, need, or get .
total budget
Your budget is the amount of money that you have available to spend . The budget for something is the amount of money that a person, organization, or country has available to spend on it.
total control
Control of an organization, place, or system is the power to make all the important decisions about the way that it is run .
total eclipse
an eclipse as seen from a particular area of the earth's surface where the eclipsed body is completely hidden
total freedom
Freedom is the state of being allowed to do what you want to do. Freedoms are instances of this.
total income
A person's or organization's income is the money that they earn or receive, as opposed to the money that they have to spend or pay out.
total output
Output is used to refer to the amount of something that a person or thing produces.
total payout
A payout is a sum of money, especially a large one, that is paid to someone, for example by an insurance company or as a prize.
total recall
the faculty or an instance of complete and clear recall of every detail of something
total wealth
Wealth is the possession of a large amount of money, property, or other valuable things. You can also refer to a particular person's money or property as their wealth .
total capacity
The capacity of a building, place, or vehicle is the number of people or things that it can hold. If a place is filled to capacity , it is as full as it can possibly be.
total depravity
the doctrine that humankind's nature is totally corrupt as a result of the Fall
total disaster
If you refer to something as a disaster , you are emphasizing that you think it is extremely bad or unacceptable .
total dividend
A dividend is the part of a company's profits which is paid to people who have shares in the company.
total fighting
a combat sport in which very few restrictions are placed on the type of blows or tactics that may be used
total football
an attacking style of play, popularized by the Dutch national team of the 1970s, in which there are no fixed positions and every outfield player can join in the attack
total pressure
Total pressure is the total of static pressure p , dynamic pressure q , and gravitational head.
total serialism
(in some music after 1945) the use of serial techniques applied to such elements as rhythm , dynamics , and tone colour, as found in the early works of Stockhausen , Boulez , etc
total workforce
The workforce is the total number of people in a country or region who are physically able to do a job and are available for work.
the sum total
the result you get when you add numbers or amounts together
total consumption
The consumption of food or drink is the act of eating or drinking something, or the amount that is eaten or drunk.
total expenditure
Expenditure is the spending of money on something, or the money that is spent on something.
total lack of
If there is a lack of something, there is not enough of it or it does not exist at all.
total population
The population of a country or area is all the people who live in it.
total reflection
the effect that occurs when light meets the interface between the medium in which it is traveling and a medium of smaller refractive index at an angle of incidence greater than the critical angle, all light being reflected back to the first medium
actual total loss
the complete destruction or loss of a piece of property that has been insured , or damage that is so extensive that the item can no longer be salvaged or used
subtotal
A subtotal is a figure that is the result of adding some numbers together but is not the final total.
total probable loss
A total probable loss is the highest degree of loss or damage that is probable if an insured event occurs.
total recoverable gas
Total recoverable gas is the amount of gas which is still left in the ground in gas fields that have already been worked.
total recoverable oil
Total recoverable oil is the amount of oil which is still left in the ground in oilfields that have already been worked.
total allergy syndrome
a condition in which a person experiences a large number of symptoms that are claimed to be caused by allergies to various substances used or encountered in modern life
total quality management
Total quality management is a set of management principles aimed at improving performance throughout a company , especially by involving employees in decision-making . The abbreviation → TQM is also used.
the sum total of sth
all of something
total internal reflection
the complete reflection of a light ray at the boundary of two media , when the ray is in the medium with greater refractive index
total maximum daily load
A total maximum daily load is the amount of pollutants which are allowed to be discharged to the environment .
Pioneer Total Abstinence Association
an organization devoted to abstention from alcoholic drink
ToC
table of contents
enthalpy
a thermodynamic property of a system equal to the sum of its internal energy and the product of its pressure and volume
heat content
a thermodynamic property of a system equal to the sum of its internal energy and the product of its pressure and volume
TQM
TQM is a set of management principles aimed at improving performance throughout a company , especially by involving employees in decision-making . TQM is an abbreviation for 'total quality management'.