at a total of

USAGE SUMMARY

"at a total of" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to denote the total amount of something, often after having listed several components or items of that same thing. For example, "We raised $25.00 in donations, along with $40.00 from bake sale proceeds and $15.00 from selling t-shirts, at a total of $80.00."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

About 900 students from each grade participated, at a total of 94 schools throughout the city.

The New York Times

France came in a close second, at a total of €210m, while UK sales reached €119m.

The Guardian

Broadcom bought the three companies in 2000 for stock valued at a total of $2.56 billion.

The New York Times

But at a total of 101,179, they are just 6.9percentt of the prison population.

The New York Times

Every finger was combined with every other finger, arriving at a total of 6 alternating conditions.

Clinical Neurophysiology

Including the assumption of debt, the buyout is still valued at a total of $4.7 billion.

The New York Times

The two sketches are of lesser value, which the police estimated at a total of $17,000.

The New York Times

In total, the fringe featured 45,464 performances of 2,871 shows at a total of 273 venues.

The Guardian

All the drugs that exist today are aimed at a total of only 500 different protein targets in the body.

The New York Times

Jagr, the league's reigning scoring champion, is under contract for two more seasons at a total of $20.7 million.

The New York Times - Sports

The Knicks now have four players under contract for the 2010-11 seaton, atotalofal of $24.6 million.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase in business writing, ensure that the total is clearly relevant to the context, highlighting its importance for decision-making or financial assessment.

Common error

Avoid using "at a total of" when the context already implies a sum. For instance, instead of saying 'The cost, at a total of $100', simply state 'The cost was $100' to prevent redundancy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "at a total of" functions as a prepositional phrase that introduces a specific numerical value representing the sum or aggregate of previously mentioned items or components. As confirmed by Ludwig, it's grammatically correct and effectively used to specify a final amount.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

30%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "at a total of" is a grammatically sound and versatile phrase used to clearly specify the sum or aggregate value in various contexts. As noted by Ludwig, its neutral register makes it suitable for academic, scientific, journalistic and even everyday communication. While "at a total of" is generally correct, avoid redundancy by omitting it when the context already implies summation. Remember, alternatives such as "totaling" or "amounting to" can be used to add variety to your writing. Understanding how to use this simple expression correctly ensures precision and clarity in your communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

totaling

Emphasizes the action of summing up to a specific value.

amounting to

Focuses on the process of reaching a sum.

combined

Highlights the merging or addition of different elements.

for a grand total of

Adds emphasis to the final sum, suggesting it is noteworthy.

altogether

Indicates the sum of all elements considered.

representing a total of

Focuses on how a number accounts for the whole.

with a combined value of

Highlights that multiple items contribute to the total value.

with an overall sum of

Stresses the final sum as a result of the addition.

in aggregate

Implies a summation from individual components.

cumulatively

Implies a gradual accumulation to reach the final value.

FAQs

How can I use "at a total of" in a sentence?

Use "at a total of" to specify the total amount or number when you're providing a summary after mentioning individual components. For instance, 'The expenses for rent, utilities, and groceries came "amounting to" $2000, at a total of $2000 per month'.

What can I say instead of "at a total of"?

You can use alternatives such as "totaling", ""amounting to"", or "with a combined value of depending on the context".

Is it redundant to use "at a total of" after already listing individual amounts?

While not strictly incorrect, it can sometimes be redundant. If the context clearly implies a sum, simply stating the final amount is often more concise. However, "at a total of" can add emphasis or clarity when summarizing complex figures.

What's the difference between "at a total of" and "in total"?

"At a total of" is used to introduce the specific sum, whereas "in total" is broader and can be used to indicate that everything is being considered. For example, you might say 'We spent $50 on food and $30 on drinks, at a total of $80' or 'In total, we had a great time'.