What does “total” mean?
- 1
nounthe number you get when you add everything together
The total came to fifty dollars.
- 2
adjectivecomplete; including everything
The total cost of the trip was high.
- 3
adjectivecomplete; used to make a word stronger
The party was a total success.
Total at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun & adjective
- CEFR level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈtoʊtəl/ · TOH-tuhl
How to use “total” correctly
“A total of” takes a plural verb when talking about people or things: “A total of 50 people were there.”
Common phrases with “total”
- in total
- a total of
- total amount
- grand total
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- sum
- whole
- complete
Word family
- totally
- totality
“total” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- amount nounB1how much there is of something
- edge nounB1the outer line or end part of a surface, area or object
- figure nounB1a number, especially an official one
- growth nounB1an increase in size, amount or importance
- loss nounB1the fact of no longer having something
- majority nounB1most of the people or things in a group
- population nounB1the number of people who live in a particular place
- quality nounB1how good or bad something is