entire

1 of 2

adjective

en·​tire in-ˈtī(-ə)r  ˈen-ˌtī(-ə)r 

1

: having no element or part left out : whole

was alone the entire day

2

: complete in degree : total

their entire devotion to their family

3

a

: consisting of one piece

b

: homogeneous, unmixed

c

: intact

strove to keep the collection entire

4

: not castrated

5

: having the margin continuous or free from indentations

an entire leaf

entire adverb

entireness noun

entire

2 of 2

noun

1

: stallion

2

archaic : the whole : entirety

Synonyms

Adjective

• all
• concentrated
• exclusive
• focused
• focussed
• undivided
• whole

Choose the Right Synonym for entire

whole, entire, total, all mean including everything or everyone without exception.

whole implies that nothing has been omitted, ignored, abated, or taken away.

read the whole book

entire may suggest a state of completeness or perfection to which nothing can be added.

the entire population was wiped out

total implies that everything has been counted, weighed, measured, or considered.

the total number of people present

all may equal whole, entire, or total.

all proceeds go to charity

perfect, whole, entire, intact mean not lacking or faulty in any particular.

perfect implies the soundness and the excellence of every part, element, or quality of a thing frequently as an unattainable or theoretical state.

a perfect set of teeth

whole suggests a completeness or perfection that can be sought, gained, or regained.

felt like a whole person again after vacation

entire implies perfection deriving from integrity, soundness, or completeness of a thing.

the entire Beethoven corpus

intact implies retention of perfection of a thing in its natural or original state.

the boat survived the storm intact

Examples of entire in a Sentence

Adjective

The war affected an entire generation of young Americans.

The fence runs along the entire length of the building.

She has dedicated her entire life to helping others.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

His programs have defined business news and set the standard for the entire industry. —Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024

That seemed very much like a motivating concept for the entire movie. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024

Noun

That was the best 5-day move of its entire, albeit young, history. —Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 27 Nov. 2024

With a bright, minimalistic entire, the Greek-Mediterranean restaurant transports you directly to Greece with its authentic menu. —Rachel Dube, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English enter, entier, entire, from Anglo-French enter, entier, from Latin integer, literally, untouched, from in- + tangere to touch — more at tangent entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing entire

• the whole/entire way

Kids Definition

entire

adjective

en·​tire

in-ˈtī(ə)r,

ˈen-ˌtī(ə)r

1

: having no element or part left out : complete

2

: being to the fullest degree : total

her entire devotion

3

: having the margin continuous and free from indentations

an entire leaf

entire adverb

entirely adverb

entireness noun

Legal Definition

entire

adjective

en·​tire

: not capable of being divided into independent parts (as promises) : constituting an undivided unit

an entire contract

compare divisible, severable