sum

¹

[ suhm ]

noun

1. the aggregate of two or more numbers, magnitudes, quantities, or particulars as determined by or as if by the mathematical process of addition:

   The sum of 6 and 8 is 14.

2. a particular aggregate or total, especially with reference to money:

   The expenses came to an enormous sum.

3. an indefinite amount or quantity, especially of money:

   to lend small sums.

4. a series of numbers or quantities to be added up.
5. an arithmetical problem to be solved, or such a problem worked out and having the various steps shown.
6. the full amount, or the whole.
7. the substance or gist of a matter, comprehensively or broadly viewed or expressed:

   the sum of his opinions.

8. concise or brief form:

   in sum.

9. Mathematics.
   1. the limit of the sequence of partial sums of a given infinite series.
   2. union ( def 10a ).
10. a summary.

verb (used with object)

, summed, sum·ming.

1. to combine into an aggregate or total (often followed by up ).
2. to ascertain the sum of, as by addition.
3. to bring into or contain in a small compass (often followed by up ).

verb (used without object)

, summed, sum·ming.

1. to amount (usually followed by to or into ):

   Their expenses summed into the thousands.

verb phrase

1. 1. to reckon:

      We summed up our assets and liabilities.

   2. to bring into or contain in a brief and comprehensive statement; summarize:

      to sum up the case for the prosecution.

   3. to form a quick estimate of:

      I summed him up in a minute.

SUM

²

1. surface-to-underwater missile.

sum-

³

1. variant of sub- before m: summon.

sum

¹

/ sʊm /

noun

1. the standard monetary unit of Uzbekistan, divided into 100 tiyin

sum

²

/ sʌm /

noun

1. 1. the result of the addition of numbers, quantities, objects, etc
   2. the cardinality of the union of disjoint sets whose cardinalities are the given numbers
2. one or more columns or rows of numbers to be added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided
3. maths the limit of a series of sums of the first n terms of a converging infinite series as n tends to infinity
4. plural another name for number work
5. a quantity, esp of money

   he borrows enormous sums

6. the essence or gist of a matter (esp in the phrases in sum, in sum and substance )
7. a less common word for summary
8. archaic.
   the summit or maximum
9. modifier complete or final (esp in the phrase sum total )

verb

1. often foll by up to add or form a total of (something)
2. tr to calculate the sum of (the terms in a sequence)

sum

/ sŭm /

1. The result of adding numbers or quantities. The sum of 6 and 9, for example, is 15, and the sum of 4 x and 5 x is 9 x.

Other Words From

• sumless adjective
• sumless·ness noun
• outsum verb (used with object) outsummed outsumming

Word History and Origins

Origin of sum¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; (noun) Middle English summe, from Latin summa “sum,” noun use of feminine of summus “highest,” superlative of superus ( superior ); (verb) Middle English summen (from Old French summer ), from Medieval Latin summāre, derivative of summa

Word History and Origins

Origin of sum¹

C13 summe, from Old French, from Latin summa the top, sum, from summus highest, from superus in a higher position; see super

Synonym Study

See number.

Example Sentences

Is it True that “Gays vs. Traditionalists are a Zero-Sum Game”?

From The Daily Beast

Willima and Kate raised a similar sum at a private dinner for just 30 philanthropists on Sunday night.

From The Daily Beast

On the other hand, they are viewing their donors, and their future children, not as whole people but as the sum of certain parts.

From The Daily Beast

But when it comes to the value of antiquities for human history, the sum of the parts is not greater than the whole.

From The Daily Beast

She later sued him alleging a vicious cycle of abuse, and he settled with his ex-wife out of court for an undisclosed sum.

From The Daily Beast

In sum, SARS spread to many more countries than Ebola has so far.

From The Daily Beast

The movie cost a little over $13 million to make, not a vast sum for a filmmaker with seven Oscar nominations to his name.

From The Daily Beast

Two years later, in 1959, the Germans proposed a settlement of less than half the sum Paul had claimed.

From The Daily Beast

As the economy soured, Californians began to think in terms of limited resources and came to see migration as a zero sum game.

From The Daily Beast

Look across the region: zero sum politics are the name of the game, and are only fueling the rise of extremism.

From The Daily Beast

Tickets were incredibly expensive, £30 a pop, I seem to recall, a huge sum to 14- and 15-year-olds in 1988.

From The Daily Beast

In sum: On the question of handling the crisis today, voters seem to be more in line with Republicans.

From The Daily Beast

At daybreak, they borrowed a small sum of money from a passing family, then called their families from an Internet cafe.

From The Daily Beast

The paper apologized and forked over an undisclosed sum in “damages.”

From The Daily Beast

She subsequently confessed that she was carrying a large sum of money.

From The Daily Beast

This sum, outlined in the penal code, is double for a male than it is for a female.

From The Daily Beast

In sum, the Council of Nicea was less about celebrating unity than enforcing theological uniformity.

From The Daily Beast

Advocates often describe a zero-sum game, in which more of one inevitably means less of the other.

From The Daily Beast

If I could sum it up in a few choice words, I would, but instead I hem and haw, before stumbling through some rambling rejoinder.

From The Daily Beast

The whole is greater, in many ways, than the sum of its parts.

From The Daily Beast

It was such a magnificent sum that Sol did not feel like taking the familiarity with it of mentioning it aloud.

From Project Gutenberg

Of which the sum is that all the parties to the case are evidently, for the time being, Protestants!

From Project Gutenberg

I've tried to teach lots of folks; an' sum learns quick, an' some don't never learn; it's jest 's 't strikes 'em.

From Project Gutenberg

The King now increased it to the enormous sum of two shilling and ten pence.

From Project Gutenberg

With that sum, twice as much infantry could be maintained as that which your Majesty has here.

From Project Gutenberg

The duty on importation had been only twopence per pound, a moderate sum in view of the prices realized by the sale of it.

From Project Gutenberg

Receive ye discipline as a great sum of money, and possess abundance of gold by her.

From Project Gutenberg

Twenty dollars a month is the salary, and school keeps for six months, so I shall earn the large sum of $120 a year.

From Project Gutenberg

As the Chinese are so numerous, the sum amounts to considerable, although it it not all paid to the fiscal.

From Project Gutenberg

In the evening the little theatre is illuminated regardless of expense, a fabulous sum being expended on extra lamps.

From Project Gutenberg

He became irritable, distressed, and anxious—struggled hard to get the needful sum together, struggled and strove; but failed.

From Project Gutenberg

In this way he defrauds your Majesty of a vast sum of ducados, a thing that could be given another name.

From Project Gutenberg

To suddenly discover oneself proficient where failure had been feared increases self esteem and adds to the sum of happiness.

From Project Gutenberg

I believe they expected to receive a large sum from these relics: how grievously they were disappointed I need not tell.

From Project Gutenberg

Well, I have some sense of values, since I am buying this home, and I do not regard the property as being worth such a sum.

From Project Gutenberg

With the sum thus realized, I say, you propose to make good the losses which the bank has suffered by your improvidence?

From Project Gutenberg

It need not mention the sum to be paid for the land; it can be signed with a lead pencil: a stamp signature will suffice.

From Project Gutenberg

This sum probably included the costly buildings required for the beam-engines, which Trevithick's plan dispensed with.

From Project Gutenberg

Trevithick's cost 700l., while three times that sum would not pay for the Watt engine.

From Project Gutenberg

Mr. Betts, of London, had one for which he refused the enormous sum of £500, and Dragonetti also refused £800 for a double bass.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• amount
• bulk
• quantity
• value
• worth