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.
Though each home’s energy generation is capped at a relatively paltry 800 watts, their sum total across the country equates to a large power plant, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
It is now Saturday, and the sum total of negotiating progress that has been made is nothing.
From Slate ● Feb. 7, 2026
In other words, the sum total of that company’s annual contracts adds up to the equivalent of the entire U.S. budget for diplomacy.
From Salon ● Feb. 27, 2024
Second-placed Leeds come into tonight on the back of eight straight league wins, during which time they've conceded a sum total of one goal.
From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2024
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.
