entire

adjective en·tire \ in-ˈtī(-ə)r , ˈen-ˌtī(-ə)r \

Updated on: 6 Dec 2017

Definition of entire

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

b : homogeneous, unmixed

c : intact

strove to keep the collection entire

4 : not castrated

5 : having the margin continuous or free from indentations

an entire leaf

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entire

adverb

—

entireness

noun

See entire defined for English-language learners

See entire defined for kids

Examples of entire in a Sentence

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 of entire from the Web

Morgan Stanley lost an entire team of advisers overseeing $2.2 billion in assets.

— neil weinberg, Bloomberg.com, "Why a Truce on Broker Poaching Is Being Broken: QuickTake Q&A," 3 Nov. 2017
What’s become even clearer now, as the entire second season of the multiple-Emmy-winning sci-fi series arrives on Netflix, is that the show’s creators and occasional directors, the Duffer brothers, are brilliant curators.

— john anderson, WSJ, "‘Stranger Things 2’ Review: Return to the Upside-Down," 26 Oct. 2017
The entire Cowboys’ locker room has tried to minimize the distraction as best as possible.

— drew davison, star-telegram, "Elliott’s restored eligibility hardly fazes backups Morris, McFadden | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 4 Nov. 2017
Other artists in Johnson’s show have made entire careers in new media, but not without an affection for the handmade, among them Beryl Korot, a video art pioneer who’s taken inspiration from such practical crafts as weaving.

— edith newhall, Philly.com, "UArts exhibit celebrates the women of tech-art," 2 Nov. 2017
Get It Together is your weekly guide to organizing your entire life.

— diana tsui, The Cut, "Everything You Need to Turn Your Apartment Into a Cozy Sanctuary," 1 Nov. 2017
Looked at another way, his entire career can be seen as one long workshop for a grand musical that was never produced.

— ben huberman, Longreads, "The Opera Lover Who Composed “Bat Out of Hell”," 31 Oct. 2017
Being a celebrity comes with a lot of perks, but none tops not going to a bank in 23 years, a la Oprah, or in André 3000's case, signing only one check in your entire life.

— Essence.com, "André 3000 Says He Hasn't Had To Write a Check Since He Was 17," 31 Oct. 2017
That Spacey chose this moment to confirm what the entire world already knew is no coincidence.

— kyle smith, National Review, "Hollywood Bullies Try and Fail to Play Victim," 30 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'entire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of entire

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

entire Synonyms

Synonyms

all, concentrated, whole, exclusive, focused (also focussed), undivided

Antonyms

diffuse, divided, scattered

Related Words

absolute, complete, full, lump, teetotal, thorough, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unqualified, utter; comprehensive, intact, integral, perfect, unbroken

Near Antonyms

deficient, fragmental, fragmentary, halfway, incomplete, partial

Synonym Discussion of 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

entire

noun

Definition of entire

1 archaic : the whole : entirety

2 : stallion

Recent Examples of entire from the Web

Outlook: The Mustangs will look to replace seven starters from last year’s squad, including the entire back four.

— randy mcroberts, The Aegis, "2017 girls soccer preview," 30 Aug. 2017
WISEMAN — Living in the Arctic provides for a different life than that found in almost the entire developed world today.

— author: jack mcclure, Alaska Dispatch News, "In the community of Wiseman, taking a step back in time," 5 Aug. 2017
The Germany international unveiled the bold design, which covers his entire back, on the club's Snapchat.

— SI.com, "PHOTO: Man City Winger Leroy Sane Reveals Insane Back Tattoo Celebrating Goal Against Monaco," 21 July 2017
According to a Headwaters analysis, wildfire protection and suppression annually costs the government approximately $3 billion, which is equal to half of President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for the entire Environmental Protection Agency.

— emily atkin, New Republic, "Should We Rebuild Homes in Wildfire Zones?," 16 Oct. 2017
Tom Hudson His reality now includes acres of damaged or destroyed avocado groves and losing almost an entire late-season crop.

— tom hudson, miamiherald, "Crops for the season were looking good — until Irma delivered big trouble," 15 Oct. 2017
Patel’s also got a clever stand-up bit on racist Tinder and, of particular interest to the ever-increasingly political S.N.L., an entire back catalogue of 2016 election jokes.

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "Why Saturday Night Live’s Most Intriguing New Hire Is Behind the Camera," 26 Sep. 2017
Lie supine on a bolster or large pillow so that your entire back, shoulders, neck and head are supported.

— dana santas, CNN, "Recovering from surgery or stress? Yoga can help," 19 Sep. 2017
An entire back room of their store is dedicated to seasonal staples - sparkle, faux fur and Rudolph red - picked to pop inside the five-day retail wonderland.

— amber elliott, Houston Chronicle, "What to wear: Nutcracker Market edition," 1 Nov. 2017

First Known Use of entire

1597

ENTIRE Defined for English Language Learners

entire

adjective

Definition of entire for English Language Learners

: complete or full : not lacking or leaving out any part

ENTIRE Defined for Kids

entire

adjective en·tire \ in-ˈtīr \

Definition of entire for Students

: complete in all parts or respects

the entire day

He had entire control of the project.

—

entirely

adverb

It's entirely up to you.

Law Dictionary

entire

adjective en·tire

legal Definition of entire

: not capable of being divided into independent parts (as promises) : constituting an undivided unit

an entire contract

— compare divisible, severable

Learn More about entire

See words that rhyme with entire Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for entire Spanish Central: Translation of entire Nglish: Translation of entire for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of entire for Arabic speakers

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entire

Definition of entire

entire

entireness

From the M-W Editors

Examples of entire in a Sentence

Recent Examples of entire from the Web

Origin and Etymology of entire

entire Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of entire

entire

Definition of entire

Recent Examples of entire from the Web

First Known Use of entire

Phrases Related to ENTIRE

Related Phrases

ENTIRE Defined for English Language Learners

entire

Definition of entire for English Language Learners

ENTIRE Defined for Kids

entire

Definition of entire for Students

entirely

Law Dictionary

entire

legal Definition of entire

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