entire
Americanadjective
-
having all the parts or elements; whole; complete.
He wrote the entire novel in only six weeks.
- Antonyms:
- partial
-
full or thorough.
He has been given entire freedom of choice in this matter.
-
not broken, mutilated, or decayed; intact.
We were fortunate to find this relic entire.
- Antonyms:
- defective
-
unimpaired or undiminished.
His entire energies have gone into making the enterprise a success.
-
being wholly of one piece; undivided; continuous.
The entire mood of the symphony was joyful.
-
Botany. without notches or indentations, as leaves.
-
not gelded.
an entire horse.
-
Obsolete. wholly of one kind; unmixed or pure.
noun
-
Archaic. the whole; entirety.
-
an ungelded animal, especially a stallion.
adjective
-
(prenominal) whole; complete
the entire project is going well
-
(prenominal) without reservation or exception; total
you have my entire support
-
not broken or damaged; intact
-
consisting of a single piece or section; undivided; continuous
-
(of leaves, petals, etc) having a smooth margin not broken up into teeth or lobes
-
not castrated
an entire horse
-
obsolete of one substance or kind; unmixed; pure
noun
-
a less common word for entirety
-
an uncastrated horse
-
philately
-
a complete item consisting of an envelope, postcard, or wrapper with stamps affixed
-
(of a stamp) placed on an envelope, postcard, etc, and bearing postal directions
-
Usage
What does entire mean? Entire describes something that is complete or whole, as in With my parents away for the weekend, I have the entire house to myself.Entire also describes something that is in one piece or continuous, as in The entire mood of the class was worried as our teacher handed out the tests.Example: The entire series is perfect and there are no bad episodes.
Other Word Forms
- entireness noun
- subentire adjective
Etymology
Origin of entire
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English entere, from Middle French entier, from Latin integrum, accusative of integer “whole”; integer
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As the lead advocate for the proposed Amargosa Basin National Monument, she is working to protect this entire corridor — the river, wetlands and deep cultural history stitched through these desert valleys.
From Los Angeles Times
"This is one of the few things that unites the entire country," the Republican said, adding: "I hope you win as many medals as possible."
From Barron's
A year ago, such a report would have been enough to send the entire technology sector soaring.
From Barron's
Williamson was injured this time last year and missed the entire tournament.
From BBC
Blacking out the internet completely was "very concerning, because it is very extreme", Cesarano said, pointing out that a country's entire economy basically grinds to a halt when the internet shuts down.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.