subtotal

American  

[suhb-toht-l, suhb-toht-] / ˈsʌbˌtoʊt l, sʌbˈtoʊt- /

noun

subtotals plural

1. the sum or total of a part of a group or column of figures, as in an accounting statement.

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adjective

1. somewhat less than complete; not total.

   subtotal commitment.

verb (used with object)

subtotals, present (3rd person singular) subtotaled, past participle, past subtotalled, past participle, past subtotaling, present participle subtotalling present participle

1. to determine a subtotal for, as figures.

verb (used without object)

subtotals, present (3rd person singular) subtotaled, past participle, past subtotalled, past participle, past subtotaling, present participle subtotalling present participle

1. to determine a subtotal.

subtotal British  

/ sʌbˈtəʊtəl, ˈsʌbˌtəʊtəl /

noun

1. the total made up by a column of figures, etc, forming part of the total made up by a larger column or group

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verb

1. to establish or work out a subtotal for (a column, group, etc)

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• subtotals
  plural

Participles

• subtotaling
  present
• subtotalling
  present
• subtotaled
  past
• subtotalled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• subtotal
  simple
• subtotals
  simple
• have subtotaled
  perfect
• have subtotalled
  perfect
• has subtotaled
  perfect
• has subtotalled
  perfect
• am subtotaling
  progressive
• am subtotalling
  progressive
• are subtotaling
  progressive
• are subtotalling
  progressive
• is subtotaling
  progressive
• is subtotalling
  progressive
• have been subtotaling
  perfect progressive
• have been subtotalling
  perfect progressive
• has been subtotaling
  perfect progressive
• has been subtotalling
  perfect progressive

Past

• subtotaled
  simple
• subtotalled
  simple
• had subtotaled
  perfect
• had subtotalled
  perfect
• was subtotaling
  progressive
• was subtotalling
  progressive
• were subtotaling
  progressive
• were subtotalling
  progressive
• had been subtotaling
  perfect progressive
• had been subtotalling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will subtotal
  simple
• will have subtotaled
  perfect
• will have subtotalled
  perfect
• will be subtotaling
  progressive
• will be subtotalling
  progressive
• will have been subtotaling
  perfect progressive
• will have been subtotalling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of subtotal

First recorded in 1905–10; sub- + total

Explanation

When you're adding a list of numbers, the subtotal is what you get after adding some (but not all) of them. If you order a few pairs of socks online, your subtotal is the cost of the socks before tax or shipping costs are added. And if you're tallying up the number of doughnuts you've seen your brother eat in a week, you might get 10 as a subtotal before adding the final two he eats on Saturday. Subtotal adds the "under" or "almost" prefix sub- to total, from the Latin tōtus, "all, whole, entire."

Example Sentences

Kate Dyson, 44, from Hastings, underwent the surgery six months ago after having a subtotal hysterectomy just over four years ago to remove her uterus - a procedure which leaves the cervix in place.

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2025

Assuming a 11.75 percent tax rate, Martin’s subtotal was about $25.

From Washington Post • Oct. 13, 2022

Airbnb says most guests pay less than 14.2 percent of the booking subtotal as its service fee.

From New York Times • Dec. 28, 2021

One comment we heard: Should the tip be calculated based on the pretax subtotal or after-tax total?

From Chicago Tribune • Sep. 10, 2014

Extra 1 shilling 3 pence, 4 shillings, 5 shillings, about 16 pounds, subtotal 866 pounds.

From Diary in America, Series Two by Marryat, Frederick