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
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
The sum total of these ideas is our culture, which “makes our individual lives rich and fulfilling,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2024
The sum total of these chains makes a web in which every work of art occupies its own specific place.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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.
