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.
Remember, the sum total of violent crimes this ICU nurse had been charged with in his life was zero.
From Slate ● Jan. 24, 2026
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 ● Dec. 14, 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
Europe is a sum total of different countries with different-sized budgets and diverse domestic politics and priorities.
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2025
Steve Jobs, too, gave credit to his arts training, which was just about the sum total of his higher education.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
