altogether

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

adverb

1. wholly; entirely; completely; quite:

   altogether fitting.

   Synonyms: absolutely, utterly, totally

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. in the altogether informal.
   in the altogether 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, Informal. nude ( def 1 ):

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

Example Sentences

For parents everywhere, screen time has now taken on a different meaning altogether.

From Popular-Science

On April 30, California suspended its polio vaccination program altogether, and by May 7 all polio vaccinations had been paused for a week by recommendation of the surgeon general.

From Ozy

So we have between 100 and 200,000, and we altogether have done a very good job.

From Washington Post

Perhaps the last company to do so was Castlight Health in 2014, which subsequently lost over 95% of its value, but most prior examples occurred during the Internet bubble in 1999 and 2000 and ended up disappearing altogether.

From Fortune

Coronavirus has denied brands the ability to plan, and forced some to pivot altogether and reinvent themselves.

From Digiday

Still other people have moved away from the word “diet” altogether.

From The Daily Beast

Otherwise, we will be but celebrating an empty holiday, missing its true meaning altogether.

From The Daily Beast

Some pro-life groups worry that they discourage women from staying pregnant altogether.

From The Daily Beast

But if you ask leftists what Cuba is famous for they will usually say something altogether different: healthcare and education.

From The Daily Beast

The list of banned items from the BBFC seems altogether ridiculous and excessive.

From The Daily Beast

The possibilities of certain branches of teaching have been altogether revolutionized by the cinematograph.

From Project Gutenberg

He was one of the founders of Andover theological seminary, and contributed altogether about $125,000 to that institution.

From Project Gutenberg

The pipe has a modern look and is altogether unlike those found by the English in use among the Indians in Virginia.

From Project Gutenberg

Broadly speaking, the new money will be altogether too good to meet this particular need.

From Project Gutenberg

They spoke like this because they are accustomed to abandon altogether those whom they have once judged incurable.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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