altogether

[ awl-tuh-geth-er, awl-tuh-geth-er ]

adverb

1. wholly; entirely; completely; quite:

   altogether fitting.

   Synonyms: absolutely, utterly, totally

2. with all or everything included:

   The debt amounted altogether to twenty dollars.

3. with everything considered; on the whole:

   Altogether, I'm glad it's over.

altogether

/ ˌɔːltəˈɡɛðə; ˈɔːltəˌɡɛðə /

adverb

1. with everything included

   altogether he owed me sixty pounds

2. completely; utterly; totally

   he was altogether mad

3. on the whole

   altogether it was a very good party

noun

1. in the altogether informal.
   naked

Confusables Note

The forms altogether and all together, though often indistinguishable in speech, are distinct in meaning. The adverb altogether means “wholly, entirely, completely”: an altogether confused scene. The phrase all together means “in a group”: The children were all together in the kitchen. The word all can be omitted without seriously affecting the meaning: The children were together in the kitchen.

Word History and Origins

Origin of altogether¹

First recorded in 1125–75; variant of Middle English altogeder; all, together

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in the altogether, Informal. nude ( def 1 ):

   When the phone rang she had just stepped out of the bathtub and was in the altogether.

Example Sentences

Of course, the award-winning, internationally renowned artist behind memorable installations at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival could have walked away altogether.

From Los Angeles Times

Germany decided to phase out nuclear power altogether.

From BBC

Even if the council doesn’t abandon the pay hike altogether, the hotel association said it hoped to be able to persuade them to amend its terms in order to lessen the financial impact on hotels.

From Los Angeles Times

Several celebrities, from pop singer Lizzo to Taskmaster's Greg Davies, have announced they are joining the platform and limiting their use of - or in some cases leaving altogether - X.

From BBC

Removing it altogether could still pose a challenge, however, as the federal government does not have the final authority over that decision.

From BBC

Related Words

• absolutely
• fully
• perfectly
• quite
• thoroughly
• totally
• utterly
• wholly