tally

[tal-ee]

noun

plural

tallies 

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 tally 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)

tallied, tallying 

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)

tallied, tallying 

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

Other Word Forms

• tallier noun
• retally noun
• untallied 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

Atletico found some balance after conceding and the pace slowed, with Inter seemingly content to add a point to their tally.

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Since 2019, 20 animals, including 19 belugas, have died at Marineland, according to a tally by the Canadian Press.

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It took Bielle-Biarrey and his iconic red scrum hat's Test try tally to 20 in 22 appearances since his international bow in 2023.

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“We came out here, we set the tone early,” said Holani, a part of a defensive front guided by defensive coordinator Steve Fifita that tallied seven tackles for loss and two sacks.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That was tempered by a downward revision to the prior two months’ tally totaling 33,000, which put August’s total into negative territory.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• itemize 
• register 
• write down