constituting or comprising the whole; entire; whole: the total expenditure.
of or relating to the whole of something: the total effect of a play.
complete in extent or degree; absolute; unqualified; utter: a total failure.
involving all aspects, elements, participants, resources, etc.; unqualified; all-out: total war.
noun
the total amount; sum; aggregate: a total of $200.
the whole; an entirety: the impressive total of Mozart's achievement.
verb (used with object),to·taled,to·tal·ing or (especially British)to·talled,to·tal·ling.
to bring to a total; add up.
to reach a total of; amount to.
Slang. to wreck or demolish completely: He totaled his new car in the accident.
verb (used without object),to·taled,to·tal·ing or (especially British)to·talled,to·tal·ling.
to amount (often followed by to).
Origin of total
1350–1400;Middle English (adj.) < Medieval Latintōtālis, equivalent to Latintōt(us) entire + -ālis-al1
Related formsqua·si-to·tal, adjectivequa·si-to·tal·ly, adverbre·to·tal, verb (used with object),re·to·taled,re·to·tal·ing or (especially British)re·to·talled,re·to·tal·ling,nounsu·per·to·tal, nounun·to·taled, adjectiveun·to·talled, adjective
late 14c., from Old French total, from Medieval Latin totalis "entire, total" (as in summa totalis "sum total"), from Latin totus "all, whole, entire," of unknown origin. Total war is attested from 1937, in reference to a concept developed in Germany.
