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UKmore / greater / better than the sum of its parts
/mˈɔː ɡɹˈeɪtə bˈɛtə ðɐn ðə sˈʌm ɒv ɪts pˈɑːts/
/mˈoːɹ ɡɹˈeɪɾɚ bˈɛɾɚ ðɐn ðə sˈʌm ʌv ɪts pˈɑːɹts/more / greater / better than the sum of its parts
[PHRASE]1
surpassing in terms of quality or effectiveness when working as a whole rather than individually
What is the origin of the idiom "more than the sum of its parts" and when to use it?
The origin of the idiom "more than the sum of its parts" is unclear, but it is believed to have originated in English in the early 20th century. This idiomatic expression is used to describe a situation where a group of things or people working together can achieve a greater effect than the individual parts working separately.
Examples
1. And what you get is greater than the sum of its parts.
2. But how can something be more than the sum of its parts?
3. As a material, nacre is more than the sum of its parts.
4. IIT suggests that, essentially, the whole of all your neurons working together amounts to more than the sum of its parts.
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