totality

[ toh-tal-i-tee ]

noun

, plural to·tal·i·ties.

1. something that is total or constitutes a total; the total amount; a whole.
2. the state of being total; entirety.
3. Astronomy. total obscuration in an eclipse.

totality

/ təʊˈtælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the whole amount
2. the state of being total
3. the state or period of an eclipse when light from the eclipsed body is totally obscured

Word History and Origins

Origin of totality¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; total + -ity

Example Sentences

Because isn’t that what beauty is, in all of its prismatic totality — hard to kill, always in bloom?

From Los Angeles Times

The term does not reflect the totality of the suburb – a densely packed residential area where other political parties operate and where not everyone supports Hezbollah – but the group is certainly the strongest force there.

From BBC

In E.coli, this means that its pangenome — the totality of genes that are found across all strains — has a huge amount of variability.

From Salon

If he had been allowed to consider the "totality of circumstances", Judge Higginbotham said, he would have found the officer had violated Mr Barnes's Fourth Amendment rights.

From BBC

“No. 1 is to get him right, get him built up, and then we’ll kind of assess where our staff is at, in its totality.”

From Los Angeles Times