Adjective
a total lack of support
a total eclipse of the sun
He demanded total control of the project.
What was the total amount of the bill?
the total number of words
The country has a total population of about 100 million. Noun
a total of 25 square miles
that's the total for our wheat harvest this year Verb
He carefully totaled the bill.
two and two total four
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Adjective
The double-digit number of people laid off may be a small fraction of the 10,000 total layoffs at HHS, but the cuts included the person who determines what funds each state receives for the program.—Medora Lee, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025 In 2024, there were 285 total cases nationwide with no deaths reported by the CDC.—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
Half of states in the US are now reporting measles cases, with the national total surpassing 800 cases so far this year, according to a CNN tally.—Neha Mukherjee, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025 New members who join the program in May will be automatically entered to win, and a total of 12 winners will be selected at random, the chain said in a news release.—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
The company’s revenues totalled only $3 million in 2023, the year after its shift of emphasis, but grew almost seven times’ last year to reach $20 million.—David Prosser, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025 The two locations total over 150,000 square feet of parts and stock nearly $25 million in parts inventory.—Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Dunning upped his innings pitched total from 117 in 2021 to 153, which was the biggest marker of progress for him on the season.—Dallas News, 26 Sep. 2022 Phiaton rates the buds as offering 11 hours if continuous use, and up to 28 hours total with the charging case.—Andy Meek, BGR, 22 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for total
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin totalis, from Latin totus whole, entire
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