altogether

1 of 2

adverb

al·​to·​geth·​er ˌȯl-tə-ˈge-t͟hər How to pronounce altogether (audio)
1
: wholly, completely
an altogether different problem
stopped raining altogether
2
: in all : all told
spent a hundred dollars altogether
3
: on the whole
Altogether their efforts were successful.

altogether

2 of 2

noun

informal
: nude
used with the
posed in the altogether

Examples of altogether in a Sentence

Adverb They had an altogether new idea. If we don't do something now, the forests may disappear altogether. It's best to avoid the situation altogether. Altogether, their efforts were successful. Noun had never posed in the altogether for a photographer before
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
Turns out rich mom style and altogether edgier Y2K fashion look good together–and that Gisele Bündchen can make even distressed denim look expensive. Alex Kessler, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2024 Students from impoverished households are more likely to have to choose another school altogether. Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 22 Mar. 2024 And many families with children may be forced to exit the shelter network altogether by the summer. Miriam Jordan, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 But an animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, says that while shortening the hunting season is a step in the right direction, banning coyote hunting altogether is a better solution. Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 Mental health and gun security were key focuses in the trial James Crumbley’s trial began last week has been altogether similar to his wife’s trial, featuring many of the same shooting survivors, police investigators and school employees. Eric Levenson, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 His district, his home, is represented by a different congressman altogether. Lachlan Cartwright, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Then, in 2023, Baker skipped trial altogether and pleaded no contest. Michelle Miller, CBS News, 9 Mar. 2024 Much like Trump’s original executive order, the bill would force ByteDance to sell the platform and, if the company refused, would allow Congress to ban the site altogether. Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
According to my calculations, the White House methodology yields the absurd conclusion that eliminating the corporate tax altogether would boost annual household wages by up to $20,000. Jason Furman, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'altogether.' 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

Adverb and Noun

Middle English altogedere, from al all + togedere together

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of altogether was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near altogether

Cite this Entry

“Altogether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altogether. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

altogether

adverb
al·​to·​geth·​er
ˌȯl-tə-ˈget͟h-ər
1
: wholly, thoroughly
an altogether different problem
2
: with everything taken into account : in all
the bill came to $25 altogether
3
: on the whole
altogether their efforts were successful

More from Merriam-Webster on altogether

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