the sum of

phrase

1
: an amount of (money)
I paid the sum of $500.
2
: the result of (adding two or more numbers together)
The sum of 5 and 7 is 12
3
: all there is of : the whole amount of
Working odd summer jobs has been the sum of my experience so far.

Examples of the sum of in a Sentence

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.
Under the ban, each homogeneous material that makes up a garment should not have a PFHxA concentration equal to or greater than 25 parts per billion (ppb) for the sum of PFHxA and its salts, while 1,000 ppb for the sum of its related substances. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 But in many cases, the true value of a business is more than just the sum of all its assets. — Naomi Cahn, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 Historically, the team has succeeded by being greater than the sum of its parts. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 In 2020, Andrew Booker of the University of Bristol and Andrew Sutherland of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology settled the case for when the sum of x3 + y3 + z3 totals 42. — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the sum of

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The sum of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20sum%20of. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!