tally

[ tal-ee ]

noun

, plural tal·lies.

1. an account or reckoning; a record of debit and credit, of the score of a game, or the like.

   Synonyms: enumeration, count, inventory

2. Also called tally stick. a stick of wood with notches cut to indicate the amount of a debt or payment, often split lengthwise across the notches, the debtor retaining one piece and the creditor the other.
3. anything on which a score or account is kept.
4. a notch or mark made on or in a tally.
5. a number or group of items recorded.
6. a mark made to register a certain number of items, as four consecutive vertical lines with a diagonal line through them to indicate a group of five.
7. a number of objects serving as a unit of computation.
8. a ticket, label, or mark used as a means of identification, classification, etc.
9. anything corresponding to another thing as a counterpart or duplicate.

verb (used with object)

, tal·lied, tal·ly·ing.

1. to mark or enter on a tally; register; record.

   Synonyms: list, enroll

2. to count or reckon up.

   Synonyms: calculate, enumerate

3. to furnish with a tally or identifying label.
4. to cause to correspond or agree.

verb (used without object)

, tal·lied, tal·ly·ing.

1. to correspond, as one part of a tally with the other; accord or agree:

   Does his story tally with hers?

2. to score a point or make a goal, as in a game.

tally

/ ˈtælɪ /

verb

1. intr to correspond one with the other

   the two stories don't tally

2. tr to supply with an identifying tag
3. intr to keep score
4. obsolete.
   tr to record or mark

noun

1. any record of debit, credit, the score in a game, etc
2. a ticket, label, or mark, used as a means of identification, classification, etc
3. a counterpart or duplicate of something, such as the counterfoil of a cheque
4. a stick used (esp formerly) as a record of the amount of a debt according to the notches cut in it
5. a notch or mark cut in or made on such a stick
6. a mark or number of marks used to represent a certain number in counting
7. the total number of sheep shorn by one shearer in a specified period of time

Derived Forms

• ˈtallier, noun

Other Words From

• talli·er noun
• re·tally noun plural retallies verb retallied retallying
• un·tallied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tally¹

1275–1325; (noun) Middle English taly < Medieval Latin talia, variant of Latin tālea rod, cutting, literally, heel-piece, derivative of tālus heel; (v.) late Middle English talyen, derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tally¹

C15: from Medieval Latin tālea, from Latin: a stick; related to Latin tālus heel

Example Sentences

It’s a sickeningly high number, but it’s also the first time the tally has dropped below 1 million since March.

From Fortune

Alexander Lukashenko, the 26-year-and-counting president of Belarus, won his country’s recent elections with a final tally of 80 percent of the vote.

From Ozy

Lyon is reasonably well organized in defense, but it is outperforming its expected goals against tally so far, suggesting that something’s got to give eventually.

From FiveThirtyEight

While there’s no official tally, it’s reasonable to say that millions of algorithmically proctored tests are happening every month around the world.

From MIT Technology Review

Scores joined him, and the tally of militants in Kashmir doubled from 150 to 300.

From Ozy

But right now, if we were to put out an aggregated tally for 2014, it would be way off the mark.

From The Daily Beast

They examined every “poll list, tally sheet, certificate of result, and, where necessary, each ballot.”

From The Daily Beast

Together, the missiles and airstrikes cost at least $79 million to pull off, according to a Daily Beast tally.

From The Daily Beast

Though a recount is likely, Grothman had a 215-vote lead in the initial tally.

From The Daily Beast

When that show ended, did you think that would be it for your trophy tally?

From The Daily Beast

He keeps the tally, and he says that never were so many altars as to-day, and the fire-carriage serves them well.

From Project Gutenberg

Vigilant priests were always ready to extinguish systems which could not be made to tally with their interests.

From Project Gutenberg

Then Crozier called with a great, cheery voice—what Mona used to call his tally-ho voice.

From Project Gutenberg

But, alas, how many Presidents they have to have in these Spanish republics to round out the tally with Destiny!

From Project Gutenberg

I'm on to run a tally for most things; but—how much do you make it?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• poll
• total