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Synonyms

sum total

American  

noun

  1. complete numerical total.

    the sum total of my savings.

  2. essence; substance.

    The sum total of research in the field.
sum total Idioms  

  1. The entirety, everything, as in I spent all day in the kitchen and the sum total of my efforts is this cake. [Mid-1600s]

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.

I give her a one-page spreadsheet listing where all our money is, the balances and how the sum total compares with previous years.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The sort of AI that people are using routinely today is built on the sum total of information on the internet - it doesn't just produce answers out of thin air," Dr Edwards told the BBC.

From BBC

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

Starting in the 1950s and up to 2019, there was a sum total of roughly 2,000 operating satellites in orbit.

From Salon

Europe is a sum total of different countries with different-sized budgets and diverse domestic politics and priorities.

From BBC

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.