What does altogether mean?
Altogether is an adverb used to express completeness or totality in English. It carries three closely related senses: it can mean 'entirely' or 'completely,' as in describing something as altogether different from what came before; it can mean 'in total,' summing up quantities or numbers, as in 'altogether there were twenty entries'; and it can convey a general assessment 'on the whole,' weighing every factor into a single judgment. The word appears frequently in both everyday speech and formal writing, and it pairs naturally with 'not' to signal qualified or partial agreement, as in 'I am not altogether convinced.' A perennial point of confusion is the distinction between the single word 'altogether,' which expresses totality, and the phrase 'all together,' which describes people or things gathered in one place at the same time. Rooted in early modern English as a fusion of 'all' and 'together,' it remains a compact, versatile way to state that nothing has been left out.
adverbEntirely; completely; on the whole. Used to mean 'in total' when summing quantities, or 'completely' when describing an absolute state or degree.
- Completely; wholly; in every respect (e.g. 'an altogether different situation').
- In total; when all amounts or items are summed (e.g. 'altogether there were twelve guests').
- On the whole; taking everything into account (e.g. 'it was an altogether satisfactory outcome').
"The project cost us altogether more than we had budgeted for."
"The scheme was altogether too ambitious for a first attempt."
"Altogether, the trip cost just under two thousand pounds."
The difference between 'altogether' and 'all together' has tripped up writers for centuries — one means 'completely,' the other means 'everyone in the same place,' and mixing them up is one of English's most classic slips.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of altogether
Altogether originated in English as a compound of 'all' and 'together,' with 'together' itself tracing back to Old English 'tōgædere,' formed from the Germanic root behind 'gather.' The fused single-word form emerged in the late medieval and early modern period and became established by the sixteenth century. Its sibling phrase 'all together' preserves the unfused form, which is why the two remain easily confused today.
How altogether is actually used
Common in both formal and informal registers. Often used with 'not' to express partial agreement or qualified approval ('I'm not altogether sure'). Avoid confusing the single-word form with the phrase 'all together.'
Easily confused with altogether
'All together' is the phrase meaning everyone or everything gathered in one place at the same time, whereas 'altogether' is a single word meaning entirely or in total.