altogether
UK /ɔːl.tʊˈɡɛð.ə(ɹ)/ · US /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/ adverb, noun
Forms altogethers
- adverb Completely, wholly, or without exception. “Police did not seem altogether satisfied with my alibi.”
- adverb On the whole; with everything considered. “Altogether, I'm sorry it happened.”
- adverb With everything included. “Altogether, your bill comes to $6.99.”
- adverb (informal) An intensifier: without doubt, clearly. “It was a great game altogether.”
- noun (colloquial, dated, with the) A state of nakedness.
Synonyms
absolutely all-out tout à fait all the way stone-cold blind stark cold at large at length cap-a-pie categorically completely detailly downright entirely exhaustively finally first and last flat-out raw birthday suit wholly totally all whole all told in all all in all on the whole
Etymology
From Middle English altogeder, altogedere, equivalent to al- (“all”) + together. Cognate with Scots awthegither (“altogether”), Middle High German alzegater (“altogether”), Dutch altegaar. Compare also Old English ealġeador, eallġeador (“altogether”), West Frisian allegearre (“altogether”). More at together.
The noun sense (nakedness): was popularized in George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby.
Webster’s 1913
- adverb All together; conjointly. [Obs.]
- adverb Without exception; wholly; completely.
Etymology [OE. altogedere; al all + togedere together. See Together.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “altogether”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details