entire

The word "entire" refers to 100 percent of something. It’s similar to the word "whole."

• We spent the entire day at the beach.
• Bob ate an entire pizza for lunch.
• Global climate change affects the entire planet.
• The candidate’s speech took an entire hour.
• The tornado wiped out the entire town. Not one building was left standing.

It’s not easy for one person to eat an entire pizza.

The word "entirely" is an adverb. It’s similar to the word "completely."

• Some species of animals have been entirely eliminated due to human activities.
• The story that we heard about the man and the woman was entirely false. None of it was true.
• It’s entirely possible that the program we’re experimenting with won’t work. (The word "entirely" is used as an intensifier in this example.)

The word "entirety" is a noun:

• The construction of the bridge was completed over the entirety of a two-month period.
• It’s not likely that the film will be shown in its entirety because it’s seven hours long.

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May 7, 2018