sum total
Americannoun
-
complete numerical total.
the sum total of my savings.
-
essence; substance.
The sum total of research in the field.
Etymology
Origin of sum total
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400
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.
His unconditional affection is a great reminder that my professional output isn’t the sum total of my value as a human being.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 11, 2025
Starting in the 1950s and up to 2019, there was a sum total of roughly 2,000 operating satellites in orbit.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2025
Ten minutes versus Nice; 28 versus Fraserburgh; 12 versus Motherwell; and one against St Mirren has been the sum total of Rice's first-team involvement.
From BBC • Jan. 23, 2025
But not really much, ultimately about as much as the sum total of the unscripted “not a joke,” “not hyperbole,” and “I mean that literally” asides scattered throughout.
From Slate • Aug. 20, 2024
The Agricultural Revolution certainly enlarged the sum total of food at the disposal of humankind, but the extra food did not translate into a better diet or more leisure.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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.
