altogether

Altogether is an English adverb with several related meanings centered on totality and extent. Its primary senses are: completely or entirely (for example, The project was altogether a success); in total or in sum (The bill came to fifty dollars altogether); and as a modifier before adjectives or noun phrases to indicate a high degree or complete difference (an altogether different matter). It is also common to use not altogether to express partial certainty or extent (I was not altogether sure about it).

There is also a distinct two-word form, all together, which means everyone or everything in the same place or acting as a group (Let’s go all together to the theater). In standard writing, the one-word form is generally preferred when referring to totality or overall extent, while the two-word form emphasizes simultaneity or collective action.

Etymology and history generally trace altogether to the combination of all and together, formed in Middle English and maintained in modern English. The expression has remained stable across varieties of English, though usage notes emphasize the different meanings depending on whether altogether is used as a single word or split as all together.

Usage notes and alternatives: altogether can be replaced by entirely, completely, or in total depending on the sense required. It often appears in formal writing, as in not altogether uncommon, where it can introduce a nuanced qualification. Common collocations include altogether different, altogether complete, and altogether possible.