The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word NAKED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
N
A
K
E
D
More clues leading to the result NAKED
- Finally bitten by a bloodsucking fly, being bald
- College officer upset about king as he paraded when duped?
- Twisted, dropping head, being without cover
- Moved twistily, heading off out of cover
- Clergymen finally grew hot, wanting bishop exposed
- Exposed as ladies with a seedy past?
- . Helpless rector departs in a huff
- Turned up, primarily dropping even knickers
- End troubled about a king in the altogether
- Defenceless king strangled by cleric from behind
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "in the altogether" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case in the altogether = naked.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does NAKED mean?
NAKED adjective- Bare, not covered by clothing.
- Lacking some clothing; clothed only in underwear.
- Glib, without decoration, put bluntly.
- Characterized by the nakedness of the people concerned or to whom the described noun is attributed.
- Unarmed.
- Unaided, unaccompanied.
- Unprotected, uncovered; (by extension) without a condom.
- (of a derivative contract) Where the writer (seller) does not own the underlying asset to cover the contract.
- Resourceless, poor, lacking means.
- (with “of”) Lacking or devoid of something.
- Blank, clean, empty.
- (of land, rocks, or plants) Barren, having no foliage, unvegetated.
- Uncomfortable or vulnerable, as if missing something important.
- (of food or other consumer products) Without any additives, or without some component that would usually be included.
- Of a singularity, not hidden within an event horizon and thus observable from other parts of spacetime.
- To make naked; to bare.