Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: Medieval Latin totalis, from Latin totus 'whole'

total

1 adjective
     
to‧tal1 S1 W1
1 [usually before noun] complete, or as great as is possible
total failure/disaster
The sales campaign was a total disaster.
a total ban on cigarette advertising
He looked at her with a total lack of comprehension.
a sport that demands total commitment
2

total number/amount/cost etc

HMN the number, amount etc that is the total:
total sales of 200,000 per year
Her total income was £10,000 a year.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary