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Synonyms

entirety

American  
[en-tahyuhr-tee, -tahy-ri-] / ɛnˈtaɪər ti, -ˈtaɪ rɪ- /

noun

entireties plural
  1. the state of being entire; completeness.

    Homer's Iliad is rarely read in its entirety.

  2. something that is entire; the whole.

    He devoted the entirety of his life to medical research.


entirety British  
/ ɪnˈtaɪərɪtɪ /

noun

  1. the state of being entire or whole; completeness

  2. a thing, sum, amount, etc, that is entire; whole; total

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

Etymology

Origin of entirety

1300–50; Middle English enter ( e ) te < Middle French entierete < Latin integritāt- (stem of integritās ). See integer, -ity

Explanation

The noun entirety describes something that is total or complete, like when you eat a pizza in its entirety, leaving not even one slice for other people. The noun entirety comes from the Latin word integritas, meaning “untouched” or “whole.” If a televised football game goes long, the announcers might say, "Your local news will air in its entirely after the game." That means the news will be its normal length, not shortened. If you did your assigned reading in its entirety, it means you completed it, reading every page, not just skipping around.

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Vocabulary lists containing entirety

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.

News of Colbert’s surprise late-night spot spread online, with social media users reposting the episode in its entirety or sharing clips.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

“The Boroughs” doesn’t quite sustain its charm at full tilt for the entirety of the eight episodes.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

The methodology table didn’t list other inputs, leaving the impression that 1.3 times Ebitda might have been the entirety of the valuation formula.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

“The entirety of the AI complex right now is going to be supply constrained,” Citizens analyst Andrew Boone told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 26, 2026

That, too, was perfectly smooth, and, like the entirety of the citadel, it floated, held in place not by ropes or chains but some unfathomable force.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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