Sum

Pronunciation: /sʌm/

Definitions of sum

noun the total amount resulting from the addition of two or more numbers

Example Sentences

A1 The sum of 2 and 3 is 5.

A2 She calculated the sum of all the numbers in the list.

B1 The sum of the parts is greater than the whole.

B2 After adding up all the expenses, the total sum came to $500.

C1 The sum of their efforts resulted in a successful project.

C2 The sum of his knowledge and experience made him a valuable asset to the team.

verb to calculate the total of two or more numbers

Example Sentences

A1 I sum the numbers on my calculator.

A2 She sums up the total cost of the groceries.

B1 The teacher asked the students to sum the numbers in the math problem.

B2 In order to complete the project, we need to sum the expenses.

C1 The accountant is responsible for summing all the financial transactions.

C2 As a data analyst, part of my job is to sum up the data for analysis.

Examples of sum in a Sentence

formal The sum of the two numbers is equal to 10.

informal What's the sum of these figures?

slang I can't believe the sum of our bill was so high!

figurative The sum of all our efforts finally paid off in the end.

Grammatical Forms of sum

• past tense: was
• plural: are
• comparative: more
• superlative: most
• present tense: am/is/are
• future tense: will be
• perfect tense: have been
• continuous tense: being
• singular: is
• positive degree: good
• infinitive: to be
• gerund: being
• participle: been

Origin and Evolution of sum

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'sum' originated from the Latin word 'summus' meaning 'highest' or 'topmost'. It was later adapted into Old French as 'summe' before entering Middle English.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'sum' has retained its fundamental meaning of the total amount resulting from the addition of two or more numbers, but it has also been extended to refer to the essence or core of something, as in 'the sum of all fears'.