- The definition of total is something that is complete or whole.
An example of total used as an adjective is the expression “total recall” where you remember everything.
- Total is defined as the sum or final amount.
An example of a total is the final cost of dinner on a check.
- Total means to add things up.
An example of total is for a cashier to ring up your purchase at the grocery store.
- Total is to completely wreck something.
An example of total is to destroy your car in a car accident.
total
- constituting the (or a) whole; entire; whole
- complete; utter: a total loss
Origin of total
Middle English from Middle French from Medieval Latin totalis from Classical Latin totus, all, whole from Indo-European base an unverified form t?u-, to swell from source thumbtransitive verb
-·taled or -·talled, -·tal·ing or -·tal·ling- to find the total of; add
- to equal a total of; add up to
- Slang to wreck completely; demolish
total up to
total
noun
- An amount obtained by addition; a sum.
- The whole amount of something; the entirety: The storm damaged the total of the housing units.
adjective
- Of, relating to, or constituting the whole amount; entire: the total population of the city. See Synonyms at whole.
- Complete; utter; absolute: total concentration; a total effort; a total fool.
verb
to·taled, to·tal·ing, to·tals, or to·talled to·tal·lingverb
transitive- To determine the total of; add up: They totaled the applications at 600.
- To equal a total of; amount to: The week's receipts totaled more than $90,000.
- To wreck completely; demolish: The driver survived the crash but totaled the car.
verb
intransitiveOrigin of total
Middle English whole from Old French from Medieval Latin tōtālis from Latin tōtus ; see teutā- in Indo-European roots.total
(plural totals)
(comparative more total, superlative most total)
(third-person singular simple present totals, present participle totalling in British English, totaling in American English, simple past and past participle totalled in British English, totaled in American English)
- To add up; to calculate the sum of.
- When we totalled the takings, we always got a different figure.
- To equal a total of; to amount to.
- That totals seven times so far.
- (US, slang) to demolish; to wreck completely. (from total loss)
- Honey, I'm OK, but I've totaled the car.
- (intransitive) To amount to; to add up to.
- It totals nearly a pound.
From Middle English total, from Medieval Latin tÅtÄlis, from tÅtus (“all, whole, entire"), of unknown origin. Perhaps related to Oscan ðŒ•ðŒðŒ–ðŒ•ðŒ (touto, “community, city-state"), Umbrian ðŒ•ðŒðŒ•ðŒ€ðŒŒ (totam, “tribe", acc.), Old English þēod (“a nation, people, tribe"), from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéhâ‚‚ (“people"). More at thede, Dutch.
total - Computer Definition
An early network DBMS from Cincom Systems, Inc., Cincinnati, OH (www.cincom.com) that ran on a variety of minis and mainframes.
total - Legal Definition
adj
- Complete; entire; undivided.
- Absolute; supreme.
