entire

American  

[en-tahyuhr] / ɛnˈtaɪər /

adjective

1. having all the parts or elements; whole; complete.

   He wrote the entire novel in only six weeks.

   Antonyms:

   partial

2. full or thorough.

   He has been given entire freedom of choice in this matter.

3. not broken, mutilated, or decayed; intact.

   We were fortunate to find this relic entire.

   Antonyms:

   defective

4. unimpaired or undiminished.

   His entire energies have gone into making the enterprise a success.

5. being wholly of one piece; undivided; continuous.

   The entire mood of the symphony was joyful.

6. Botany. without notches or indentations, as leaves.

7. not gelded.

   an entire horse.

8. Obsolete. wholly of one kind; unmixed or pure.

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noun

1. Archaic. the whole; entirety.

2. an ungelded animal, especially a stallion.

entire British  

/ ɪnˈtaɪə /

adjective

1. (prenominal) whole; complete

   the entire project is going well

2. (prenominal) without reservation or exception; total

   you have my entire support

3. not broken or damaged; intact

4. consisting of a single piece or section; undivided; continuous

5. (of leaves, petals, etc) having a smooth margin not broken up into teeth or lobes

6. not castrated

   an entire horse

7. obsolete of one substance or kind; unmixed; pure

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noun

1. a less common word for entirety

2. an uncastrated horse

3. philately

   1. a complete item consisting of an envelope, postcard, or wrapper with stamps affixed

   2. (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

The spinoff is expected to be completed this summer, but the value of the channels is in doubt, giving Paramount ammunition to claim that its $30-a-share tender offer for the entire company was more lucrative.

From Los Angeles Times

“For my entire life, I have looked up to America, and had excellent cooperation with America,” said Per Stig Møller, who was foreign minister when Denmark deployed troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.

From The Wall Street Journal

Several rivers have burst their banks and swallowed entire neighbourhoods, raising risk of crocodiles entering communities, notably in Xai-Xai.

From Barron's

A light drizzle fell Tuesday morning on the city of Concepcion, about 500 kilometers south of Santiago in Biobio, one of two regions where entire neighborhoods have been gutted by fires since Saturday.

From Barron's

There may be only two Hoosier fans in the entire country who didn’t immediately count the play as their all-time favorite: Mendoza’s parents.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• full
• integrated
• unified