Meaning & use
subtotal
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
The total of a group of numbers before adding extra charges or making later changes.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'the' or a possessive.
Patterns
- the subtotal of something
- a subtotal before tax
The subtotal on the receipt was $50, and tax brought it to $54.
Please check the subtotal before you apply the discount.
In the spreadsheet, the subtotal for January is in cell B10.
verbtransitive
To add up a group of numbers as a partial total.
Grammar: Takes an object: subtotal the expenses.
Patterns
- subtotal something
- subtotal the costs
The accountant subtotaled the expenses before adding tax.
You can subtotal each category to see where the money goes.
He subtotaled the items on the invoice.
Word forms
| plural | subtotals |
|---|---|
| third person singular | subtotals |
| past tense | subtotaled |
| past participle | subtotaled |
| present participle | subtotaling |
Common combinations
- subtotal before tax
- The subtotal before tax was $100.
- subtotal of the bill
- She calculated the subtotal of the bill.
- subtotal line
- Look at the subtotal line on the receipt.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- total noun
- The final amount after all additions.
Commonly confused: subtotal or total?
subtotal vs total
Total includes everything; subtotal is an intermediate sum before extra charges.
Practice
On a receipt, what does the subtotal show?
Choose one answer.
The subtotal is the sum before tax and other additions. The final amount including tax is the total, not the subtotal.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “subtotal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.