total

adjective

1. constituting or comprising the whole; entire; whole: the total expenditure.
2. of or relating to the whole of something: the total effect of a play.
3. complete in extent or degree; absolute; unqualified; utter: a total failure.
4. involving all aspects, elements, participants, resources, etc.; unqualified; all-out: total war.

noun

5. the total amount; sum; aggregate: a total of $200.
6. the whole; an entirety: the impressive total of Mozart’s achievement.

verb (used with object), to·taled, to·tal·ing or (especially British) to·talled, to·tal·ling.

7. to bring to a total; add up.
8. to reach a total of; amount to.
9. Slang. to wreck or demolish completely: He totaled his new car in the accident.

verb (used without object), to·taled, to·tal·ing or (especially British) to·talled, to·tal·ling.

10. to amount (often followed by to).

noun

1. the whole, esp regarded as the complete sum of a number of parts

adjective

2. complete; absolutethe evening was a total failure; a total eclipse
3. (prenominal) being or related to a totalthe total number of passengers

verb -tals, -talling or -talled or US -tals, -taling or -taled

4. (when intr, sometimes foll by to) to amountto total six pounds
5. (tr) to add upto total a list of prices
6. (tr) slang to kill or badly injure (someone)
7. (tr) mainly US to damage (a vehicle) beyond repair

adj.

late 14c., from Old French total, from Medieval Latin totalis “entire, total” (as in summa totalis “sum total”), from Latin totus “all, whole, entire,” of unknown origin. Total war is attested from 1937, in reference to a concept developed in Germany.

n.

1550s, from total (adj.).

v.

1716, from total (n.). Meaning “to destroy one’s car” first recorded 1954. Related: Totaled; totaling.