totaled or totalled; totaling or totalling
Examples of total in a Sentence
Adjective
a total lack of support
a total eclipse of the sun
He demanded total control of the project.
What was the total amount of the bill?
the total number of words
The country has a total population of about 100 million.
Noun
a total of 25 square miles
that's the total for our wheat harvest this year
Verb
He carefully totaled the bill.
two and two total four
Recent Examples on the Web
Brady Shanahan, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
The world’s most valuable digital currency by total market capitalization traded largely between $4,300 and $4,400 on Monday, September 8, after falling to nearly $4,250 the weekend before, according to Coinbase data from TradingView.
—Charles Lloyd Bovaird Ii, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2025
Harrell rushed six times for -24 yards (sack totals included), including a long of eight yards.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Brown, who totaled 470 yards on 35 catches last season, has two targets all season – and both have resulted in first downs, one in each game.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2025
Hot 100 and 45 weeks total on the chart.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for total
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Alexander currently leads Missouri with 69 total points and 60 digs while unleashing 158 total attacks in 2025.
—Brady Shanahan, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
The world’s most valuable digital currency by total market capitalization traded largely between $4,300 and $4,400 on Monday, September 8, after falling to nearly $4,250 the weekend before, according to Coinbase data from TradingView.
—Charles Lloyd Bovaird Ii, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
Between April and June, the senator’s campaign committee paid Ventura Jets, a private airline charter on Long Island, an additional total of $229,173, according to campaign disclosure data reviewed by the Washington Examiner.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2025
Harrell rushed six times for -24 yards (sack totals included), including a long of eight yards.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
Lady Gaga, who came in with 12 nominations, was the night’s biggest winner, earning four Moon Person trophies total.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Brown, who totaled 470 yards on 35 catches last season, has two targets all season – and both have resulted in first downs, one in each game.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025
Adverb
Collecting three weeks total atop the Billboard 200, Eternal Sunshine got a second life earlier this year with a deluxe edition released a few months after the November premiere of Wicked.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2025
Hot 100 and 45 weeks total on the chart.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for total
Cite this Entry
“Total.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/total. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
total
1 of 3 adjective
to·tal
ˈtōt-ᵊl 
1
: of or relating to the whole of something
a total eclipse of the sun
2
: making up the whole
the total amount
3
: being such to the fullest degree
total ruin
4
: making use of every means to do something
total war
total
2 of 3 noun1
: a product of addition : sum
2
: an entire amount
total
3 of 3 verb
totaled or totalled; totaling or totalling
1
2
: to amount to
donations totaled $120
3
: to make a total wreck of
totaled the car
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share