entirety

Everyday

1. (formal) The entirety of something is all of it, the whole thing. tree →
2. In its entirety means completely, from start to finish. tree →

In the lessons

It is a formal word found in exam questions, reports and stiff speech: "Read the passage in its entirety". Everyday words: the whole, all of. Phrases: in its entirety, the entirety of.

Examples

• Read the story in its entirety before answering. tree →
• The entirety of the cake was eaten. tree →
• He spent the entirety of the holiday reading. tree →
• The film was shown in its entirety. tree →
• The entirety of the class passed the test. tree →
• She copied the poem in its entirety. tree →
• The flood covered the entirety of the field. tree →
• Listen to the song in its entirety. tree →

Note

Formal. Uncountable. From "entire" (whole). Pronounced en-TY-er-tee. In maths, "the entirety" means the whole amount (100%, or 1 whole).