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

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

There are different interpretations on how Hindus should treat animals, however cows are considered a sacred animal and many choose not to eat beef, while others avoid meat altogether.

From BBC

In August the BBC had learned that the prison system "came within 100 places" of running out of space altogether.

From BBC

The UK prison population has roughly doubled in the last 30 years, with capacity lagging behind, and in September the system came within 100 places of running out of space altogether.

From BBC

Related Words

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