WordGarden.ioentire
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /ɛntˈaɪə/
US
- /ɪnˈtaɪər/
Meanings
Adjective
whole or complete, with no part left out
not castrated, especially of a male animal
having a smooth, unbroken edge, especially of a leaf
More meaningsFewer meanings
analytic everywhere in the finite complex plane
Beyond the definition
Imagine a pie on the table. If you eat the entire pie, you do not stop at one slice; you eat all of it. "Entire" means whole or complete, with nothing left out. It can describe something physical, like an entire building, or time and events, like an entire day, an entire life, or an entire team.
The word often adds emphasis. If you say, "The entire town came to the festival," you mean everyone came, and that may feel surprising or impressive. It is close to "whole" and "all," but it often highlights that something is complete from beginning to end.
The word "entire" means whole, complete, and with nothing missing or left out. It is used when you want to show that all of something is included. For example, "She read the entire book in one night" means she read all of it, from the first page to the last. "He stayed home for the entire weekend" means the full weekend, not just part of it.
"Entire" can be used with physical things, groups, periods of time, and experiences. You can talk about an entire cake, an entire street, an entire class, or an entire year. In each case, the idea is the same: every part is included. You can also use it for emphasis. If you say, "The entire audience stood up," it stresses that everyone there did it.
This word is close in meaning to "whole" and sometimes to "all," but it is not always used in exactly the same way. We often say "the entire day" or "the entire city," and we also say "a whole day" or "the whole city." In many cases these are very similar. Still, "entire" often sounds a little more formal and a little stronger because it clearly points to complete inclusion.
"Entire" can also suggest that something remains unbroken or undivided. An entire object is still in one piece, not damaged or separated. That is why the word works well for both simple everyday situations and more serious writing.
So, whether you are talking about all of a meal, all of a group, or all of a period of time, "entire" helps express the idea that nothing was left out.
Examples
- 1
Whole day
We spent the entire day at the beach.
- 2
Family group
My entire family came to the graduation.
- 3
Full duration
She stayed calm the entire time.
- 4
Group agreement
The entire team agreed to try the new plan.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Lifetime
I have lived in this city my entire life.
- 6
Schedule impact
The delay ruined our entire schedule.
- 7
Missing facts
What he told you is true, but it isn't the entire story.
- Phrasenot the entire story
not all the facts
- 8
Main purpose
The entire point of the meeting was to make a final decision.
- Patternthe entire point of + noun/gerund
the main purpose of it
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- the entire day
- the entire family
- the entire process
- an entire chapter
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- entireadjectivenoun