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Meaning & use

sum total

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˌsʌm ˈtəʊtl/
US/ˌsʌm ˈtoʊtl/

Meanings

  1. nounsingular

    The complete amount you get when every part is added together, often used to stress how much or how little that is.

    Grammar: Takes a singular verb: the sum total of her savings was small.

    Patterns

    • the sum total of something
    • the sum total is something

    The sum total of his experience amounted to one summer job.

    After the fees, the sum total came to more than we had budgeted.

    The museum's collection is the sum total of a century of donations.

  2. nounsingularfigurative

    The whole of what something consists of or what has been achieved, thought of as everything combined.

    Grammar: Usually appears with the and of; a sum total, without the, is rare.

    Patterns

    • the sum total of something

    Is this really the sum total of your plans for the weekend?

    A person's character is the sum total of countless small choices.

    For years, the sum total of my French was a few menu words.

Common combinations

the sum total of
The sum total of the evidence pointed to a simple mistake.
the sum total of human knowledge
No single library holds the sum total of human knowledge.
the sum total of experience
The sum total of her experience made her the right choice.
the sum total of your efforts
The sum total of your efforts will be judged next week.
amount to the sum total
Small gifts can amount to a surprising sum total over time.

Synonyms and how they differ

total
Total is shorter and neutral, while sum total adds emphasis, often about how large or how disappointing the whole is.
entirety
Entirety stresses that nothing is left out, but it does not suggest adding parts the way sum total does.
aggregate
Aggregate is more formal and technical, often used for statistics and data.
whole
Whole is the general word for everything together and does not imply that separate parts were counted up.

Opposites

part

Word family

sum noun
the result of adding numbers, or an amount of money
total noun
the whole number or amount
totally adverb
completely
summarize verb
to give the main points briefly

Commonly confused: sum total or summation?

sum total vs summation

Summation is the act or result of adding, or a final summary, while sum total is simply the complete amount.

Practice

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