entire

[ en-tahyuhr ]

adjective

1. having all the parts or elements; whole; complete:

   He wrote the entire novel in only six weeks.

   Antonyms: partial

2. full or thorough:

   He has been given entire freedom of choice in this matter.

3. not broken, mutilated, or decayed; intact:

   We were fortunate to find this relic entire.

   Antonyms: defective

4. unimpaired or undiminished:

   His entire energies have gone into making the enterprise a success.

5. being wholly of one piece; undivided; continuous:

   The entire mood of the symphony was joyful.

6. Botany. without notches or indentations, as leaves.
7. not gelded:

   an entire horse.

8. Obsolete. wholly of one kind; unmixed or pure.

noun

1. Archaic. the whole; entirety.
2. an ungelded animal, especially a stallion.

entire

/ ɪnˈtaɪə /

adjective

1. prenominal whole; complete

   the entire project is going well

2. prenominal without reservation or exception; total

   you have my entire support

3. not broken or damaged; intact
4. consisting of a single piece or section; undivided; continuous
5. (of leaves, petals, etc) having a smooth margin not broken up into teeth or lobes
6. not castrated

   an entire horse

7. obsolete.
   of one substance or kind; unmixed; pure

noun

1. a less common word for entirety
2. an uncastrated horse
3. philately
   1. a complete item consisting of an envelope, postcard, or wrapper with stamps affixed
   2. (of a stamp) placed on an envelope, postcard, etc, and bearing postal directions

Derived Forms

• enˈtireness, noun

Other Words From

• en·tireness noun
• suben·tire adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of entire¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English entere, from Middle French entier, from Latin integrum, accusative of integer “whole”; integer

Word History and Origins

Origin of entire¹

C14: from Old French entier, from Latin integer whole, from in- ¹+ tangere to touch

Example Sentences

A safety who usually subbed for Foster to give him occasional breathers had gotten hurt the week before, forcing him to play the entire game.

From Los Angeles Times

“We were drenched in sweat the entire time. There was never enough sweat for Tim. The lived-in clothing, the ashtrays — it all creates a physical reality.”

From Los Angeles Times

Warren wrote it before seeing the film; her friend, Keri Selig, a producer on “The Six Triple Eight,” described the entire story to her, scene by scene.

From Los Angeles Times

She said the firm's improvement plan would "generate higher revenues for the taxpayer and boost the entire region’s economy".

From BBC

A simple message, which evokes a multitude of memories for almost an entire nation, neatly summed up what Nadal means to Spain.

From BBC

Related Words

• full
• integrated
• unified

More About Entire

What does entire mean?

Entire describes something that is complete or whole, as in With my parents away for the weekend, I have the entire house to myself.

Entire also describes something that is in one piece or continuous, as in The entire mood of the class was worried as our teacher handed out the tests.

Example: The entire series is perfect and there are no bad episodes.

Where does entire come from?

The first records of the term entire come from around 1350. It ultimately comes from the Latin integer, meaning “whole.” In mathematics, an integer is a whole number.

While there are many senses of entire, all are related to this idea of wholeness or completeness. When you’re talking about something that is created in parts, such as a TV series, you would use entire to describe all parts as one. In casual conversation, you might use entire for emphasis, such as saying the entire movie was horrible so that others know you didn’t like any of it.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to entire?

• entireness (noun)
• entirety (noun)
• entirely (adverb)

What are some synonyms for entire?

• complete
• full
• integrated
• whole
• unified

What are some words that share a root or word element with entire? 

• integer

What are some words that often get used in discussing entire?

• gross
• intact
• integration
• undamaged

How is entire used in real life?

Entire is a commonly used word to describe the wholeness of something.

The news shocked the entire community, but I'm sure it hit you a bit harder. Be well, and if you want to talk, you know where to find me :)

— Lucas Prado (@Lucas_praado) October 14, 2021

the best thing i did. this entire decade. was love you

— Thoughts of Dog® (@dog_feelings) January 1, 2020

lol John just threw an entire suitcase in the car and said he was going to the studio. he's for sure leaving us

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) September 30, 2019

 

 

Try using entire!

True or False?

If you eat an entire cake, you’ve eaten a portion of it.

When To Use

What are other ways to say entire?

Something that is entire has all its parts or elements or is whole. How does entire compare to synonyms complete, intact, and perfect? Find out on Thesaurus.com.