altogether

[awl-tuh-geth-er, awl-tuh-geth-er]

adverb

1. wholly; entirely; completely; quite.

   altogether fitting.

   Synonyms: absolutely, totally, utterly

2. with all or everything included.

   The debt amounted altogether to twenty dollars.

3. with everything considered; on the whole.

   Altogether, I'm glad it's over.

altogether

/ ˌɔːltəˈɡɛðə, ˈɔːltəˌɡɛðə /

adverb

1. with everything included

   altogether he owed me sixty pounds

2. completely; utterly; totally

   he was altogether mad

3. on the whole

   altogether it was a very good party

noun

1. informal,  naked

Confusables Note

The forms altogether and all together, though often indistinguishable in speech, are distinct in meaning. The adverb altogether means “wholly, entirely, completely”: an altogether confused scene. The phrase all together means “in a group”: The children were all together in the kitchen. The word all can be omitted without seriously affecting the meaning: The children were together in the kitchen.

Word History and Origins

Origin of altogether¹

First recorded in 1125–75; variant of Middle English altogeder; all, together

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in the altogether, nude.

   When the phone rang she had just stepped out of the bathtub and was in the altogether.

Example Sentences

"I'm very happy, I'm calm and very nervous altogether," the author told Swedish broadcaster Sveriges Radio from Frankfurt.

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It was Draisaitl’s second overtime winner in this series, his fourth of the playoffs altogether, and it gave Edmonton a 5-4 victory.

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Eventually, I wonder whether, if I abandon my phone for too long, I would miss social invitations altogether.

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This convergence of computation and biology will usher in an era not only of curing disease but of preventing it altogether.

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Investors can carve out major issues, such as director contests and mergers, override instructions anytime or opt out altogether.

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Related Words

• absolutely 
• fully 
• perfectly 
• quite 
• thoroughly 
• totally 
• utterly 
• wholly