Definition of “sum” - English Dictionary

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“sum” in English

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sumnoun

uk ​ /sʌm/ us ​ /sʌm/

sum noun (AMOUNT OF MONEY)

B1 [ C ] an amount of money:

Huge sums of money are spent on national defence.
He sold the house for a tidy (= large) sum.
humorous I worked for three whole weeks for which I received the princely (= very low) sum of $100.

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Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

sum noun (TOTAL)

› [ S ] the whole number or amount when two or more numbers or amounts have been added together:

The sum of 13 and 8 is 21.
in sum formal

› considered as a whole:

The meeting was, in sum, a disaster.
the sum of sth

› all of something, especially when this is not very much:

And that's the sum of my knowledge on the subject!

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Idiom(s)

get/have your sums right/wrong
more/greater/bigger etc. than the sum of its parts

(Definition of “sum” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“sum” in American English

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sumnoun

us ​ /sʌm/

sum noun (AMOUNT OF MONEY)

› [ C ] a particular amount of money:

The sum involved in the sale was not reported.

sum noun (TOTAL)

› mathematics [ U ] a total found by the addition of two or more numbers:

The sum of seven and twelve is nineteen.
in sum

› In sum is said before giving a final, brief statement describing something:

In sum, the American public did not perceive global warming as urgent.

(Definition of “sum” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

“sum” in Business English

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sumnoun

uk ​ /sʌm/ us ​

› [ C ] MONEY, FINANCE an amount of money:

Share price slid by 1p to 142p fuelled by concerns that the company might offer too generous a sum for the proposed venture in India.
The sale of Germany's biggest commercial TV operator for an undisclosed sum follows a bidding contest.
Banks may not be prepared to open an account if the sum involved is too small.
large/huge/enormous sums Restrictions have been imposed by the government on the movement of large sums of money out of the country.
a small/modest/substantial sum A substantial sum has been set aside for litigation relating to the construction project.
an additional/cash/final sum The final sum an investor receives from a pension is dependent on the rate of investment growth.
vast/huge/considerable sums
a sum of $8/£2,000/€1.2m, etc. Legislation approved yesterday will raise a much-needed sum of £300,000 for use on the roads.
pay (out)/spend/invest a sum Deposits are non-recoverable cash sums paid just to reserve a property, with a further sum payable when contracts are exchanged.
earn/receive/owe a sum Victims of an explosion at a chemical works are set to receive large sums in compensation.
borrow/lend a sum First-time buyers are having to borrow huge sums to buy a home.

› [ S ] also sum total the number or amount that is the result of adding together two or more numbers or amounts:

sum of sth In 2006, the sum of all income for residents of Colorado rose by 6.5%.

› [ C ] UK a calculation that involves adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing numbers:

You need to do your sums before deciding whether you would benefit more from a fixed-rate or a tracker mortgage.
Amid the pressure to get their sums right, many funds have closed to new business.

› [ S ] also sum total the whole of something after all the different features or parts of it are considered:

the sum of sth We believe that the sum of our business principles maximizes our chances of success.
more/greater than the sum of its parts

› more powerful, effective, etc. as a whole than you would think if you considered the different features or parts that it consists of:

The claimed logic of this latest merger is that the whole will be more than the sum of the parts.
in sum

› used at the end of a report or discussion before giving a short description of the main ideas or facts:

We're looking, in sum, for a major player who believes in newspapers as a serious business.
a princely/tidy sum

› a large amount of money:

She sold her story to the tabloids for a princely sum.
We have made a tidy sum on our investments.
the princely sum of sth

› used in a humorous way to refer to an unexpectedly small amount of money:

The book was first published in the UK in 1972 for the princely sum of 40p.

See also

capital sum
lump sum

(Definition of “sum” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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