totality

noun

to·​tal·​i·​ty tō-ˈta-lə-tē How to pronounce totality (audio)
plural totalities
1
: an aggregate amount : sum, whole
the totality of human knowledge
2
a
: the quality or state of being total : wholeness
This … looks at the problem globally, in its totality.Philip Landrigan, quoted at NPR.org
b
: the phase of an eclipse during which it is total : the state of total eclipse

Examples of totality in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The remarkable images — taken from Quebec, Canada, during the March 29, 2025, partial solar eclipse — reveal the sun's outer atmosphere — a feature typically visible only during the brief moments of totality during a total solar eclipse. Jamie Carter, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025 For endurance specifically, looking at the totality of evidence, Jones figures there’s a real effect. Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 19 Apr. 2025 Ellie Friar/Instagram Based on the totality of the scene and suspicious circumstances relating to the missing persons, a MADIU — Major Assault and Death Investigation Unit —callout is initiated. Megan Kelly Brown, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2025 On April 8, 2024, a roughly 125-mile wide path of totality through northwest Mexico, the U.S.(from Texas through Maine) and southeast Canada was created by the moon’s shadow, which took 139 minutes to travel across Earth’s surface. Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for totality

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of totality was in 1598

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Cite this Entry

“Totality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totality. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

totality

noun
to·​tal·​i·​ty tō-ˈtal-ət-ē How to pronounce totality (audio)
plural totalities
1
: a combined amount : sum, whole
2
: the quality or state of being total : entirety
rejected the scheme in its totality

More from Merriam-Webster on totality

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