The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Source: tatoeba (1791)
Sum
Synonyms for "sum" (350 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (70)
Noun(32 words)
aggregateamounttotalabridgeaccumulatedaccumulationsaddadditionaddition on number-lineadditionsaggregatesall ofall togetheramount dueamount ofamount of moneyamount toamountsamounts toamt
Show 12 more words
arithmetic sumbalancebill-totalcalculate row sumcalculationcentercentreclass totalcome tocomputecompute the totalcondense
Verb(8 words)
Adjective(2 words)
aggregate functionaggregate population
Determiner(1 words)
any amount
Strong matches (105)
connotationconsequencecorecountcount updealdenotationdetaildifferencedigestdosedrifteffectentiretyentityepitomeepitomizeessenceestimateextension
Show 42 more words
extentfigurefigure upfootfoot upforcegistgobgrammatical meaninggrandgrand totalgrossgross amountgroupheaphunkideaimpactimplicationimportintegralintegrateintensioninventoryitemizelarge amountlexical meaningliteral meaninglotlump summagnitudemain pointmassmattermeaningmeasuremeasurementmeatmessnumbernumbersnutshell
Noun(34 words)
corecount itemscount objectscount occurrencescountscounts occurrencesdisbursementelement sumelement summedessencefigure the totalfootinggerman totalgerman zählengistgrand sumgrocery subtotalheartheart and soulinwardness
Adjective(8 words)
diagonal resultant forcedutch totaalentire sumfinal amountfinal sumfootedincreasing quantitynumerical total
Determiner(1 words)
most physical quantity
Related words (175)
overtonepackparcelpartpertinencepithplusplus signpointportionpractical consequenceproductpurportquantityquantumrange of meaningrationreal meaningrecaprecapitulate
Show 70 more words
recapitulationrecitereckonreckon upreckoningrecountreferencereferentrehearserelaterelationrelevanceresumeround sumrun throughrun-throughrundownscopescorescore upsemantic clustersemantic fieldsensesignificancesignificationsignificatumsignifiesmall amountspan of meaningspiritstrengthstructural meaningstructuresubstancesubtotalsum and substancesum totalsum upsummarizesummarysummatesummationsumming upsumming-upsymbolic meaningsynopsizesystemtaletallytally uptenorthe amountthe bottom linethe storythe whole storytottot uptotaltotal uptotalitytotality of associationstotetote uptransferred meaningunadorned meaningundertonevaluewholewhole amountx number
Noun(52 words)
paymentpithplussesponyportuguese somaportuguese totalprincipalquantity ofquantity sense orientedransomrecaprecompensingresultrun torunning totalsales talliesseriessommesubstancesubtotaled
Show 32 more words
subtotalingsubtotallingsubtotalssum of moneysum totalsummarizesummationsummationssummingtallytallyingthe resultthe wholetotal costtotal energy budgettotal energy consumption trendtotal energy outputtotal sumtotal the billtotal tototaled billtotalingtotaling budgettotalitiestotalitytotalizationtotallingtotalstotingtotsunionwholes
Adjective(12 words)
perfect totalsheer amountsimple additionspanish totalstatistical summationsummative resultstidytotal amounttotal counttotal numbertotal quantitywhole entity
Verb(19 words)
Determiner(2 words)
the answerthe total
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: aggregate, amount, total, abridge, abridgment.
- Sentence evidence is available for sum, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "sum".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "sum"
Keep "sum" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "sum" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "sum", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "sum" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
25 entriesaccumulationaggregationamountarithmetic operationassemblageassetscognitive contentcollectioncontentcountenumerateinformation processingmath conceptmental objectnumbernumerate
Showing 16 of 25 words.
More specific
12 entriesCollocations
9 entriesarithmetic sumcolumn sumfinal sumgrand sumgrand totalpartial sumrow sumrunning sumsum total
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriessimilar
6 entriesSample sentences
31 total sentences available.
Cole's Axiom: The sum of the intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.
Source: tatoeba (2340)
Please sum up your idea.
Source: tatoeba (17168)
The sum came to over 20,000 yen.
Source: tatoeba (21246)
Showing 4 of 31 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "sum"?
Closest matches include aggregate, amount, total, abridge, abridgment.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "sum"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.