different between totally vs altogether

English

Etymology

total +? -ly

Pronunciation

• (US, UK) enPR: t?t'?-l?, IPA^(key): /?to?t.?l.i/

Adverb

totally (not comparable)

1. To the fullest extent or degree.

   Synonyms: completely, entirely, fully, wholly

   • c. 1611, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act II, Scene 1,^[1]

     Antonio. He misses not much.

     Sebastian. No; he doth but mistake the truth totally.

   • 1789, Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, London: for the author, Volume 1, Chapter 2, p. 59,^[2]

     The languages of different nations did not totally differ […] They were therefore easily learned;

   • 1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, London: T. Egerton, Volume 1, Chapter 6, p. 57,^[3]

     Your conjecture is totally wrong, I assure you.

   • 1969, Chaim Potok, The Promise, New York: Knopf, Chapter 12, p. 226,^[4]

     I trust him totally and without reservation.

2. (degree, colloquial) Very; extremely.

3. (modal, colloquial) Definitely; for sure.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:completely

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English altogeder, altogedere, equivalent to al- (“all”) +? together. Cognate with Scots awthegither (“altogether”), Middle High German alzegater (“altogether”). Compare also Old English eal?eador, eall?eador (“altogether”), West Frisian allegearre (“altogether”). More at together.

The noun sense (nakedness): was popularized in George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??l.t????ð.?(?)/, /??.tu????ð.?(?)/, /??lt????ð?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?l.tu???ð.?/
• Rhymes: -?ð?(r)

Adverb

altogether (not comparable)

1. Completely, wholly, or without exception.
   • 1891, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches,"

     Your advice will be altogether invaluable to me.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:completely

2. On the whole; with everything considered.

   Synonyms: all in all; see also Thesaurus:mostly

3. With everything included

   Altogether, your bill comes to $6.99.

Usage notes

“Altogether” and “all together” do not mean the same thing. The one-word term is used to mean “wholly, completely, in total”, whereas the two-word term is used to mean "as a group, in the same place”, etc.

Translations

Noun

altogether (plural altogethers)

1. (colloquial, usually with the) A state of nakedness. (Especially in the phrase in the altogether)
   • 1930 Aug. 4, "Prix de Rome," Time:

     Hearing that his wife was posing in the altogether for the great Spanish satirist, the Duke of Alba swore that he would paint Goya's picture in Goya's blood.

   • 2004 Nov. 25, David Carr, "When a TV Talking Head Becomes a Talking Body," New York Times (retrieved 16 Sep 2008):

     Last week, a Cleveland news anchor, Sharon Reed, was caught on camera stripping nude and joining a gaggle of other people in the altogether.