entire

1 of 2

adjective

en·​tire in-ˈtī(-ə)r How to pronounce entire (audio) ˈen-ˌtī(-ə)r How to pronounce entire (audio)
Synonyms of entirenext
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
entire adverb
entireness noun

entire

2 of 2

noun

1
: stallion
2
archaic : the whole : entirety

Synonyms

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
See the entire database of restaurant inspections here. —Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Oct. 2025 In terms of precipitation, the seasonal temperature outlook predicts a 33%-40% likelihood of an above average amount of precipitation for the entire state during the winter months. —Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
The children are both United States citizens and lived their entires lives in the country, said Sirine Shebaya from the National Immigration Project, which is representing the family. —Kayla Jimenez, USA Today, 27 July 2025 According to Goff, the current plan is to spend the entire allocated $20.5 million annual budget. —Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for entire

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

Phrases Containing entire

Rhymes for entire

See All Rhymes for entire

Browse Nearby Words

entify
entire
entirely
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Entire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entire. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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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

More from Merriam-Webster on entire

Nglish: Translation of entire for Spanish Speakers

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