all right

1 of 2

adjective

1
: satisfactory, agreeable
Whatever you decide is all right with me.
2
: safe, well
He was ill but he's all right now.
3
informal : good, pleasing
often used as a generalized term of approval
an all right guy
all right or alright?: Usage Guide

Although the spelling alright is more than a century and a half old, some critics have insisted alright is all wrong. Nevertheless, it has its defenders and its users, who perhaps have been influenced by analogy with altogether and already. Alright is less common than all right but is frequently found in informal writing and fictional dialogue.

Starting at a slower pace is perfectly alright. Alia Haley
"Alright, it is a bargain. I will help you." Harold Bell Wright

It is sometimes also used in more formal writing.

The first two years of the medical school were alright. Gertrude Stein

all right

2 of 2

adverb

1
: beyond doubt : certainly
She has pneumonia all right.
2
used interjectionally especially to express agreement or resignation or to indicate the resumption of a discussion
All right, we can do that if you want.
All right, let's go.
3
: well enough : satisfactorily
He does all right in school.

Examples of all right in a Sentence

Adjective The quality of his work is all right but not outstanding. Her first movie was pretty bad but her second one was all right. Is it all right to leave early? Is this movie all right for children? He was very sick but now he's all right again. “Are you hurt?” “No, I'm all right.” She was upset when her boyfriend left, but she's all right now. Adverb She does all right in school. The engine was sputtering when I started it, but it's running all right now. “How's your father?” “He was pretty sick, but he's doing all right now.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
This could be all right for fruit, so long as another cold snap doesn’t kill the buds. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 Winslet appeared to register a brief moment of surprise, then smiled and moved on — all right, no problem. Susan Dominus, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Now schools may have something of a road map: Taking race into account is verboten, but consideration of neighborhood, socioeconomics and other factors might be all right. Karina Elwood, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2024 Parenting can feel lonely and stressful, and the pressure to get it all right is real, especially in the age of social media. Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 15 Feb. 2024 This Lunar New Year holiday season, China’s leaders are worried the kids aren’t all right. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024 It’s been clear for a while that the American workforce is not all right. Trey Williams, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2024 But coming to school with diarrhea is all right as long as a child can make it to the toilet in time. Bianca Vázquez Toness, Fortune Well, 7 Feb. 2024 Bayard Winthrop, who founded American Giant in 2012 and has pieced together a domestic supply chain that can make his company’s $138 cotton hoodies, says that’s all right. Jordyn Holman Audra Melton, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'all right.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of all right was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near all right

Cite this Entry

“All right.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all%20right. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

all right

1 of 2 adjective
1
: satisfactory, correct
it is all right with me
2
: safe entry 1 sense 1, well
he was sick but he's all right now

all right

2 of 2 adverb
1
: very well : yes
all right, I'll come
used as an interjection especially to show agreement or acceptance or to show the continuation of a discussion
2
: beyond doubt : certainly
that's the one all right
3
: reasonably well
does all right in school

More from Merriam-Webster on all right

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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