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altogether

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Altogether is defined as something that encompasses everyone or everything or something that is total and complete.

(adverb)

Being utterly miserable is an example of being altogether miserable.

See altogether in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adverb

wholly; completely: not altogether wrong
in all; all being counted: he wrote six books altogether
everything being considered; on the whole: altogether a great success

Origin: ME altogedere: see all & together

See altogether in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adverb

Entirely; completely; utterly: lost the TV picture altogether; an altogether new approach.
With all included or counted; all told: There were altogether 20 people at the dinner.
On the whole; with everything considered: Altogether, I'm sorry it happened.

noun

A state of nudity. Often used with the: in the altogether.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English al togeder

Origin: : al, all; see all

Origin: + togeder, together; see together

Usage Note: Altogether and all together do not mean the same thing. We use all together to indicate that the members of a group perform or undergo an action collectively: The nations stood all together. The prisoners were herded all together. All together is used only in sentences that can be rephrased so that all and together may be separated by other words: The books lay all together in a heap. All the books lay together in a heap.

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