sum
1 Americannoun
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the aggregate of two or more numbers, magnitudes, quantities, or particulars as determined by or as if by the mathematical process of addition.
The sum of 6 and 8 is 14.
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a particular aggregate or total, especially with reference to money.
The expenses came to an enormous sum.
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an indefinite amount or quantity, especially of money.
to lend small sums.
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a series of numbers or quantities to be added up.
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an arithmetical problem to be solved, or such a problem worked out and having the various steps shown.
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the full amount, or the whole.
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the substance or gist of a matter, comprehensively or broadly viewed or expressed.
the sum of his opinions.
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concise or brief form.
in sum.
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Mathematics.
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the limit of the sequence of partial sums of a given infinite series.
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a summary.
verb (used with object)
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to combine into an aggregate or total (often followed byup ).
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to ascertain the sum of, as by addition.
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to bring into or contain in a small compass (often followed byup ).
verb (used without object)
verb phrase
noun
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the result of the addition of numbers, quantities, objects, etc
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the cardinality of the union of disjoint sets whose cardinalities are the given numbers
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one or more columns or rows of numbers to be added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided
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maths the limit of a series of sums of the first n terms of a converging infinite series as n tends to infinity
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(plural) another name for number work
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a quantity, esp of money
he borrows enormous sums
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the essence or gist of a matter (esp in the phrases in sum, in sum and substance )
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a less common word for summary
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archaic the summit or maximum
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(modifier) complete or final (esp in the phrase sum total )
verb
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(often foll by up) to add or form a total of (something)
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(tr) to calculate the sum of (the terms in a sequence)
noun
Related Words
See number.
Other Word Forms
- outsum verb (used with object)
- sumless adjective
- sumlessness noun
Etymology
Origin of sum
First recorded in 1250–1300; (noun) Middle English summe, from Latin summa “sum,” noun use of feminine of summus “highest,” superlative of superus ( superior ); (verb) Middle English summen (from Old French summer ), from Medieval Latin summāre, derivative of summa
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The investors typically spent about £500 on shares costing £20 to £30 each, although others invested larger sums.
From BBC
DHS was and is less than the sum of its constituent parts.
From Salon
Nakanishi admitted it was "tricky" to blend together so many different elements - old and new, action and horror - within Requiem so that they became "more than the sum of their parts".
From BBC
Typically they spent about £500 on shares costing £20-30 each but some invested larger sums in hopes of a good return.
From BBC
Duterte's defence lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, summing up his case, said that if his client could be faulted for anything, it was his "inappropriate choice of language".
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
