English Reference
Noun

entirety

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US /ɪnˈtaɪɝti/ UK /ɛntˈaɪɹɪti/ en·tire·ty UK spelling entireties

n.the whole of something. You use this word when you want to emphasize that nothing is missing or left out.

n.the whole or total amount of something, emphasizing completeness. Often used in formal or legal contexts to indicate that no part has been excluded.


SIMPLE

I read the book in its entirety over the weekend.

CONTEXTUAL

The legal team spent weeks reviewing the contract in its entirety to ensure there were no hidden clauses.

COMPLEX

While the summary provides a useful overview, the report must be read in its entirety to grasp the subtle nuances of the economic forecast.

Usage

Typically appears in the prepositional phrase 'in its entirety' or 'in their entirety'.

The John Howard buyback was fully funded by the commonwealth government, so they funded it in its entirety.

The Guardian· 17 Aug 2026

It will run alongside amber heat health alerts, issued by the UK Health Security Agency across the entirety of England.

BBC News· 13 Aug 2026

From Middle English enterete, from Old French entiereté, from Latin integritās, from integer (“complete, whole”). Doublet of integrity.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin integritās
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated