sum

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: an indefinite or specified amount of money
2
: the whole amount : aggregate
3
: the utmost degree : summit
reached the sum of human happiness
4
a
: a summary of the chief points or thoughts : summation
the sum of this criticism followsC. W. Hendel
b
: gist
the sum and substance of an argument
5
a(1)
: the result of adding numbers
the sum of 5 and 7 is 12
(2)
: the limit of the sum of the first n terms of an infinite series as n increases indefinitely
b
: numbers to be added
broadly : a problem in arithmetic
summability noun
summable adjective

sum

2 of 3

verb

summed; summing

transitive verb

1
: to calculate the sum of : total
2

intransitive verb

: to reach a sum : amount

sum

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural sums
the basic monetary unit of Uzbekistan see Money Table
Phrases
in sum
: in short : briefly

Examples of sum in a Sentence

Noun (1) the sum of human knowledge on that subject the district attorney delivered a sum of the evidence against the accused that was simply staggering he declared that he had reached the sum of joy when his newborn daughter was laid in his arms the sum of the issue is: who will pay for this? Verb can sum figures in his head faster than I can punch them into a calculator
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Victoria’s Secret chief information officer, Murali Sundararajan, summed it up in a commentary for the report. Adriana Lee, WWD, 20 Oct. 2024 To sum it up: The federal student loan system is an even bigger mess than usual. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 13 Oct. 2024 Was there ever a better speech that summed it all up? Samantha Barry, Glamour, 3 Oct. 2024 Perhaps Packers’ succinct cornerback Jaire Alexander summed it up best. Rob Reischel, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sum 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English summe, from Anglo-French sume, somme, from Latin summa, from feminine of summus highest; akin to Latin super over — more at over

Noun (2)

Uzbek so'm ruble

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1993, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sum was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sum

Cite this Entry

“Sum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sum. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

sum

1 of 2 noun
1
: an indefinite or specified amount of money
2
: the whole amount
the sum of your experience
3
a
: a summary of the chief points or thoughts
b
: the main point
the sum and substance of an argument
4
a
: the result of adding numbers
the sum of 5 and 7 is 12
b
: a problem in arithmetic

sum

2 of 2 verb
summed; summing
1
: to calculate the sum of : total
2
: to reach a sum : amount
usually used with to

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