total darkness vs darkness

total darkness and darkness both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
total darkness	Yes	No	No	No
darkness	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, darkness is a hypernym of total darkness; that is, darkness is a word with a broader meaning than total darkness:

Other hypernyms of total darkness include dark.

total darkness (noun)	darkness (noun)
total absence of light	a swarthy complexion
	having a dark or somber color
	an unenlightened state
	an unilluminated area
	absence of light or illumination
	absence of moral or spiritual values