totality

[toh-tal-i-tee]

See more synonyms for totality on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural to·tal·i·ties.

something that is total or constitutes a total; the total amount; a whole.
the state of being total; entirety.
Astronomy. total obscuration in an eclipse.

Origin of totality

First recorded in 1590–1600; total + -ity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for totality

Contemporary Examples

In any case, culling a manageable array from the totality of splendid volumes has with each year become more difficult.
The Best Coffee Table Books of 2014
Robert Birnbaum
December 13, 2014
In the case of Darren Sharper we will see how the courts and public perceptions treat his totality.
Can Darren Sharper Beat His Rape Rap With the Kobe Defense?
Eboni K. Williams
March 18, 2014
From that limited contact he imagines the totality of their life together, every touch, glimpse, insecurity, and kindness.
This Week’s Hot Reads: ‘The Bridge of Beyond,’ ‘The Virgins,’ ‘Holy Orders’
Sarah Stodola
August 12, 2013
Given this totality, public distrust of Washington should come as no surprise.
The Sprawling, Dimming Age of Obama
Lloyd Green
June 30, 2013
How do we capture the totality of the thing in a handful of words?
Fire and Forget: After Homecoming, Veterans Collect Stories of War
Roy Scranton
November 26, 2012

Historical Examples

As it happened, that very instant was the conclusion of totality.
The Story of Eclipses
George Chambers
The totality of a life at any moment is the product mainly of little things.
How to Succeed
Orison Swett Marden
There was a lull in the wind before and after totality, but during the totality the wind was strong.
Fragments of science, V. 1-2
John Tyndall
They first appear on the eastern limb at the commencement of totality.
The Story of the Heavens
Robert Stawell Ball
But it is no longer then of the universe in its totality that we must speak.
Creative Evolution
Henri Bergson

British Dictionary definitions for totality

totality

noun plural -ties

the whole amount
the state of being total
the state or period of an eclipse when light from the eclipsed body is totally obscured

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

Word Origin and History for totality

n.

1590s, from total (adj.) + -ity. In the eclipse sense, from 1842.

totality

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}totality

Examples from the Web for totality

Contemporary Examples

In any case, culling a manageable array from the totality of splendid volumes has with each year become more difficult.

In the case of Darren Sharper we will see how the courts and public perceptions treat his totality.

From that limited contact he imagines the totality of their life together, every touch, glimpse, insecurity, and kindness.

Given this totality, public distrust of Washington should come as no surprise.

How do we capture the totality of the thing in a handful of words?

Historical Examples

As it happened, that very instant was the conclusion of totality.

The totality of a life at any moment is the product mainly of little things.

There was a lull in the wind before and after totality, but during the totality the wind was strong.

They first appear on the eastern limb at the commencement of totality.

But it is no longer then of the universe in its totality that we must speak.

totality

Word Origin and History for totality

n.

Origin of totality