al·to·geth·er
ˌȯl-tə-ˈge-t͟hər 
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.
Synonyms
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
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Tribal colleges typically charge low tuition and some, including Tohono O’odham, cut tuition altogether during the pandemic.
—Matt Krupnick, The Arizona Republic, 14 Apr. 2024
Who Farmer Brandon picked for his final solo date
Nettles gathered the farmers and their daters altogether again.
—Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 13 Apr. 2024
The bleak outlook for cocoa farmers threatens to doom cocoa-growing in the region altogether.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
Put an old painting in a contemporary frame or eliminate the frame altogether.
—Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
Svitolina thinks Russian athletes should be barred altogether.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Each count carries up to 15 years in prison, which Jennifer Crumbley is trying to avoid altogether.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
This would help quantum computers detect and correct errors, so that a cluster of physical qubits can altogether behave as one useful logical qubit.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Apr. 2024
Jason Furman, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2017
Adverb
Any hope of limiting the scope of the term evaporated when information theorists detached it from acoustics altogether and applied it to any ambient activity that hinders a signal.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Tribal colleges typically charge low tuition and some, including Tohono O’odham, cut tuition altogether during the pandemic.
—Matt Krupnick, The Arizona Republic, 14 Apr. 2024
Who Farmer Brandon picked for his final solo date
Nettles gathered the farmers and their daters altogether again.
—Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 13 Apr. 2024
The bleak outlook for cocoa farmers threatens to doom cocoa-growing in the region altogether.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
Put an old painting in a contemporary frame or eliminate the frame altogether.
—Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
Svitolina thinks Russian athletes should be barred altogether.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Each count carries up to 15 years in prison, which Jennifer Crumbley is trying to avoid altogether.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
This would help quantum computers detect and correct errors, so that a cluster of physical qubits can altogether behave as one useful logical qubit.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Apr. 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
Phrases Containing altogether
Dictionary Entries Near altogether
Cite this Entry
“Altogether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altogether. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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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
Nglish: Translation of altogether for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of altogether for Arabic Speakers
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