entire

1 of 2

adjective

1
: having no element or part left out : whole
was alone the entire day
2
: complete in degree : total
their entire devotion to their family
3
a
: consisting of one piece
c
: intact
strove to keep the collection entire
4
: not castrated
5
: having the margin continuous or free from indentations
an entire leaf
entire adverb
entireness noun

entire

2 of 2

noun

1
2
archaic : the whole : entirety
Choose the Right Synonym for entire

whole, entire, total, all mean including everything or everyone without exception.

whole implies that nothing has been omitted, ignored, abated, or taken away.

read the whole book

entire may suggest a state of completeness or perfection to which nothing can be added.

the entire population was wiped out

total implies that everything has been counted, weighed, measured, or considered.

the total number of people present

all may equal whole, entire, or total.

all proceeds go to charity

perfect, whole, entire, intact mean not lacking or faulty in any particular.

perfect implies the soundness and the excellence of every part, element, or quality of a thing frequently as an unattainable or theoretical state.

a perfect set of teeth

whole suggests a completeness or perfection that can be sought, gained, or regained.

felt like a whole person again after vacation

entire implies perfection deriving from integrity, soundness, or completeness of a thing.

the entire Beethoven corpus

intact implies retention of perfection of a thing in its natural or original state.

the boat survived the storm intact

Examples of entire in a Sentence

Adjective The war affected an entire generation of young Americans. The fence runs along the entire length of the building. She has dedicated her entire life to helping others.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
High populations of these moths in a small area can eat the leaves off an entire tree, and ultimately kill it. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Mar. 2024 Despite having spent his entire adult life in the public eye, he is measured, analytical, and almost intentionally unexciting. Michal Lev-Ram, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2024 Lean your weight into the bent-knee side and slowly roll the entire glute area (back and outside of your hip). Dana Santas, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024 The entire project is a practice in presence, solidifying Lenker’s beliefs the very moment they’re born, taken as truth. Leah Lu, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2024 From our veranda, there was a clear view of the entire compound. Mohammed Naseehu Ali, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Gen Zers — those born after 1996 — grew up with access to digital devices and the internet their entire lives, and many are keen on using them to make money. Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024 One big number: $525 billion The market cap gap between Microsoft and Apple, equal to the entire value of Tesla The stock of the once-most valuable company in the world, Apple, is down 7% this year. Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2024 The entire entertainment industry may be moving into a new era where robots can replace hosts, drones can manage fireworks shows and robots have even conducted orchestras. Gideon Kimbrell, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024
Noun
Among the 14 additional entires are selections from Thelonious Monk, the Specials, Little Anthony & the Imperials, the Shangri-Las, Donny Hathaway, the Libertines, Tony Bennett, and Willie Nelson. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2024 But who needs a bench when your entire starting five scores in double figures for the first time in 108 games? Advertisement USC transfer Reese Waters overcame early trouble (and only 3½ first-half minutes) to finish with 15 after also scoring exactly 15 in his first two games in an Aztecs uniform. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2023 The song brought his total career Top 10 count to 12, with 72 total entires. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2023 In addition, Buffett landed 15 entries on the Adult Contemporary charts — including a No. 1 with Margaritaville in 1977 and 17 entires on the top country albums chart, with eight top 10s and a No. 1 with License to Chill. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 2 Sep. 2023 From Beyonce to Madonna, designers David and Phillipe Blond have spent almost two decades shaping fashion history When Beyoncé stepped on stage in a bodysuit back in 2014, her entire was encrusted in jewels, complete with 3D nipples. Kyle Rice, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2022 As storms and fires grow stronger in a warming world, so must the entire of infrastructure, including roads, power, buildings, and people need to be made resilient enough to withstand disasters. Camille Squires, Quartz, 3 Sep. 2021 As of 2021, the media bail bond for a felony is $10,000 — an amount that is nearly an entire's year worth of income for the people who can't afford it. Li Cohen, CBS News, 23 July 2021 Frequently in this production, the entire back wall becomes a movie screen, sometimes capturing live scenes on or just off stage. Brian Schaefer, Bloomberg.com, 6 May 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English enter, entier, entire, from Anglo-French enter, entier, from Latin integer, literally, untouched, from in- + tangere to touch — more at tangent entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of entire was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near entire

Cite this Entry

“Entire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entire. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

entire

adjective
en·​tire
in-ˈtī(ə)r,
ˈen-ˌtī(ə)r
1
: having no element or part left out : complete
2
: being to the fullest degree : total
her entire devotion
3
: having the margin continuous and free from indentations
an entire leaf
entire adverb
entirely adverb
entireness noun

Legal Definition

entire

adjective
en·​tire
: not capable of being divided into independent parts (as promises) : constituting an undivided unit
an entire contract
compare divisible, severable

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