sum
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.
a particular aggregate or total, especially with reference to money: The expenses came to an enormous sum.
an indefinite amount or quantity, especially of money: to lend small sums.
a series of numbers or quantities to be added up.
an arithmetical problem to be solved, or such a problem worked out and having the various steps shown.
the full amount, or the whole.
the substance or gist of a matter, comprehensively or broadly viewed or expressed: the sum of his opinions.
concise or brief form: in sum.
Mathematics.
the limit of the sequence of partial sums of a given infinite series.
a summary.
to combine into an aggregate or total (often followed by up).
to ascertain the sum of, as by addition.
to bring into or contain in a small compass (often followed by up).
to amount (usually followed by to or into): Their expenses summed into the thousands.
sum up,
to reckon: We summed up our assets and liabilities.
to bring into or contain in a brief and comprehensive statement; summarize: to sum up the case for the prosecution.
to form a quick estimate of: I summed him up in a minute.
Origin of sum
1synonym study For sum
Other words from sum
- sumless, adjective
- sum·less·ness, noun
- outsum, verb (used with object), out·summed, out·sum·ming.
Words that may be confused with sum
- some, sum
Other definitions for SUM (2 of 3)
surface-to-underwater missile.
Other definitions for sum- (3 of 3)
variant of sub- before m: summon.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sum in a sentence
I just love that line, and it was such a simple way of summing up exactly where she is on having a child and giving it away.
Emmys 2013: Elisabeth Moss on Peggy’s Best ‘Mad Men’ Moments | Elisabeth Moss | August 26, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTNot so, said Jack, summing up the contest in just a few words.
SUMMING UP So am I now going to switch from Mac to Windows, and from Android to Windows Phone?
Can Microsoft Come Back? Dan Lyons’s Month Without Apple and Google | Dan Lyons | April 9, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST“I really had tremendous respect for the man,” Anderson says, summing up his feeling for Romney at the time.
Until then, as Shi says, neatly summing up the Chinese point of view, “I think many, many people are not in a position to judge.”
There is little difficulty in summing up their tenets: it is "Reverence, without servility."
Ancient Faiths And Modern | Thomas Inman"The conditions all along the line are almost revolutionary," was Ripley's summing-up of the situation.
The Wreckers | Francis LyndeSumming up what we have discovered about the nature of Essence, we find first three genera.
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3 | Plotinos (Plotinus)It had been agreed that Sandoval, who possessed the most oratorical ability, should deliver the last toast as a summing up.
The Reign of Greed | Jose RizalSumming up our experiences, we agreed that we enjoyed the life thoroughly, but much preferred marching to sitting still.
In the Ranks of the C.I.V. | Erskine Childers
British Dictionary definitions for sum (1 of 2)
/ (sʌm) /
the result of the addition of numbers, quantities, objects, etc
the cardinality of the union of disjoint sets whose cardinalities are the given numbers
one or more columns or rows of numbers to be added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided
maths the limit of a series of sums of the first n terms of a converging infinite series as n tends to infinity
(plural) another name for number work
a quantity, esp of money: he borrows enormous sums
the essence or gist of a matter (esp in the phrases in sum, in sum and substance)
a less common word for summary
archaic the summit or maximum
(modifier) complete or final (esp in the phrase sum total)
(often foll by up) to add or form a total of (something)
(tr) to calculate the sum of (the terms in a sequence)
Origin of sum
1- See also sum up
British Dictionary definitions for sum (2 of 2)
/ (sʊm) /
the standard monetary unit of Uzbekistan, divided into 100 tiyin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for sum
[ sŭm ]
The result of adding numbers or quantities. The sum of 6 and 9, for example, is 15, and the sum of 4x and 5x is 9x.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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