all

1 of 4

adjective

ˈȯl 

1

a

: the whole amount, quantity, or extent of

needed all the courage they had

sat up all night

b

: as much as possible

spoke in all seriousness

2

: every member or individual component of

all men will go

all five children were present

3

: the whole number or sum of

all the angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles

4

: every

all manner of hardship

5

: any whatever

beyond all doubt

6

: nothing but : only

all work and no play

:

a

: completely taken up with, given to, or absorbed by

became all attention

b

: having or seeming to have (some physical feature) in conspicuous excess or prominence

all legs

c

: paying full attention with

all ears

7

dialect : used up : entirely consumed

—used especially of food and drink

8

: being more than one person or thing

I don't know who all is coming.

all

2 of 4

adverb

1

a

: wholly, quite

sat all alone

—often used as an intensive

all out of proportion

all over the yard

it wasn't all that funny

b

: selected as the best (as at a sport) within an area or organization

—used in combination

all-league halfback

2

obsolete : only, exclusively

3

archaic : just

4

: so much

all the better for it

5

: for each side : apiece

the score is two all

all

3 of 4

pronoun

singular or plural in construction

1

a

: the whole number, quantity, or amount : totality

all that I have

all of us

all of the books

b

—used in such phrases as for all I know, for all I care, and for all the good it does to indicate a lack of knowledge, interest, or effectiveness

2

: everybody, everything

gave equal attention to all

that is all

all

4 of 4

noun

: the whole of one's possessions, resources, or energy

gave his all for the cause

Phrases

all the

: as much of … as : as much of a … as

all the home I ever had

all in all

: on the whole : generally

all in all, things might have been worse

and all

: and everything else especially of a kind suggested by a previous context

cards to fill out with … numbers and all

—Sally Quinn

Synonyms

Adjective

• concentrated
• entire
• exclusive
• focused
• focussed
• undivided
• whole

Adverb

• all of
• all over
• altogether
• clean
• completely
• dead
• enough
• entire
• entirely
• even
• exactly
• fast
• flat
• full
• fully
• heartily
• out
• perfectly
• plumb [chiefly dialect]
• quite
• soundly
• thoroughly
• through and through
• totally
• utterly
• well
• wholly
• wide

Pronoun

• everybody
• everyone

Choose the Right Synonym for all

whole, entire, total, all mean including everything or everyone without exception.

whole implies that nothing has been omitted, ignored, abated, or taken away.

read the whole book

entire may suggest a state of completeness or perfection to which nothing can be added.

the entire population was wiped out

total implies that everything has been counted, weighed, measured, or considered.

the total number of people present

all may equal whole, entire, or total.

all proceeds go to charity

Examples of all in a Sentence

Adjective

I've been waiting all week to see her.

He had to walk all the way home.

She works all year round.

He'll need all the help he can get.

Someone took all the candy.

Adverb

She has traveled all around the world.

This money will be all yours when I die.

She had buttons all down the side of her dress.

I forgot all about paying the bill.

The kids got all excited when they saw Santa Claus.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

President Joe Biden and Democrats nationally have moved swiftly to highlight the ruling, made by an all-Republican court, as evidence of Republicans overstepping on reproductive health care. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2024

Once again The six who received more votes – Wallace, Bowen, Kirilenko, Metta World Peace (Ron Artest), Camby and Duncan – again were voted on first or second NBA all-defensive team. —The Arizona Republic, 12 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English al, all, alle, going back to Old English eall (West Saxon), all (Anglian), going back to Germanic *alla- (whence also Old Frisian al, alle "the whole of," Old Saxon all, Old High German al, all, Old Norse allr, Gothic alls), probably going back to *al-no- or *ol-no-, derivative of a base *ala-/*ola- seen in compounds (as Old English ælmihtig almighty entry 1, Old Saxon alohwīt "completely white," Old High German alawāri "quite true," Gothic alabrunsts "burnt offering," calque of Greek holokaútōma), of uncertain origin

Note: Both the correct repertoire of comparable forms and a valid Indo-European reconstruction have been subjects of dispute. Perhaps directly comparable to Germanic *ol-no- is Welsh oll, holl "the whole, all" (with h- of secondary origin); the same base might be present in Old Irish uile "all, every," if going back to *ol-i̯o-. (Old Irish oll "great, ample" is probably not related.) Outside of Germanic and Celtic other comparisons have been suggested, as Oscan allo "whole, entire" and Lithuanian aliái (in aliái víenas "all, everyone"). As an Indo-European reconstruction, Kroonen (Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic) proposes *h₂el-nó- for Germanic and *h₂ol-i̯o- for Old Irish uile, though the assumption of ablaut seems arbitrary. Whatever the ultimate origin, an etymon restricted to western (European) Indo-European.

Adverb

Middle English al, all, going back to Old English all, representing adverbial uses of the quantifier all entry 1

Pronoun

Middle English al, all, going back to Old English all, pronominal use of the quantifier all entry 1

Noun

nominal use of the pronoun all entry 3

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Pronoun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1593, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing all

• abandon/drop all pretense at
• a bit of all right
• above all
• after all
• against (all) expectations
• against all logic
• against all odds
• all agog
• all along
• all-America
• all-American
• all and sundry
• all-around
• all bets are off
• all but
• all but certain to
• (all) by one's lonesome
• all caps
• (all) choked up
• all clear
• all-consuming
• all-day
• all decked out
• all ears
• all-embracing
• all-encompassing
• all-expenses-paid
• all eyes
• all eyes are on
• all fingers and thumbs
• all-fired
• all for
• all for naught
• (all) for the best
• all fours
• all get-out
• all go
• all hail
• all-hands-on-deck
• all heart
• all hell breaks loose
• all hours
• all-important
• all in
• all in a day's work
• all in all
• all-inclusive
• all in favor
• (all) in good time
• all in one
• all in one's head
• (all) in one whack
• all in the past
• all kinds of
• all kinds/sorts/types
• all manner of
• all mouth (and no trousers/action)
• all-natural
• all-night
• all-nighter
• all of
• all of a sudden
• all (of) the time
• all of us
• all one can do
• all-or-none
• all-or-nothing
• all/other things being equal
• all out
• all over
• all over the joint
• all over the lot
• all over the map
• all over the place
• all over the shop
• all-pervasive
• all-points bulletin
• all points/every point of the compass
• all-powerful
• all present and accounted for
• all present and correct
• all-pro
• all-purpose
• all right
• all right already
• all-round
• all-rounder
• (all) round the year
• all set
• all's fair in love and war
• all show
• all-singing, all-dancing
• all smiles
• all someone's own
• all sorts of
• all-star
• all's well that ends well
• all talk
• all talk and no action
• all-terrain vehicle
• all that
• all that business
• all (that) one can do
• all the
• (all) the best
• all the better
• all the difference in the world
• all the fashion
• all the hours God sends
• all the hullabaloo
• (all) the livelong day
• all the more
• (all) the more so
• (all) the rage
• all the same
• all the same to
• all the time
• all the time in the world
• all the trimmings
• all the way
• all the while
• all things considered
• all things to all people/men
• all this way
• all thumbs
• all-time
• all-timer
• all told
• all too
• all too often
• all too real
• all too soon
• all to yourself/himself/herself/themselves
• all very well
• all walks of life
• all well and good
• all wet
• all-wheel
• all-wheel drive
• all-world
• all year round
• an all-star cast
• and all
• answer to all someone's prayers
• as all get-out
• at all
• at all costs
• at all events
• at all hours
• at all hours of the day
• at all times
• bare (it) all
• be-all and end-all
• best of all
• beyond (all) expectations
• beyond (all) recognition
• brought it all back
• by all means
• by all odds
• by all rights
• by/from all accounts
• by/from all reports
• can't wait all day
• carry all/everything before (one)
• catch-all
• chuck it (all) in
• come one, come all
• cover-all
• cover all the bases
• cure-all
• cynosure of all eyes
• Damn it all
• dash it (all)
• don't have all day
• end it all
• exhaust (all) the possibilities
• fall all over oneself
• fire on all cylinders
• for all
• for all intents and purposes
• for all one is worth
• for all one knows
• for (all) practical purposes
• for all (someone) cares
• for all someone is worth
• for all that
• for all the world
• for good and all
• free-for-all
• from all quarters
• get (all) dolled up
• get (all) misty
• get away from it all
• give one's all
• go all in
• go all out
• go all the way
• go the way of all flesh
• got it all wrong
• have (all) one's bases covered
• have (all) the earmarks
• have (all) the makings of
• have (all) the markings of
• have all the time in the world
• have/know all the answers
• haven't got all day
• have (someone or something) (all) to oneself
• have (something) (all) to oneself
• have (something) written all over it
• hold (all/all of) the cards
• hold all the aces
• if (at all) possible
• if/when all else fails
• if you've seen one, you've seen them all
• in all
• in all conscience
• in all/everything but name
• in (all) fairness
• in all honesty
• in all innocence
• in all likelihood
• in all my born days
• in all one's glory
• in all probability
• in all seriousness
• in all sincerity
• in all someone's life
• in all weathers
• it's all relative
• it will all come out in the wash
• jack-of-all-trades
• jack-of-all-trades, master of none
• jump all over
• know-all
• know-it-all
• laugh all the way to the bank
• lay/put (all/all of) one's cards on the table
• least of all
• let it all hang out
• lose all self-control
• make all the difference
• making all the right noises
• not all there
• not at all
• not for all the tea in China
• of all people
• of all places
• of all stripes
• of all (the)
• of all the nerve
• of all things
• of all time
• on all cylinders
• on all hands
• on all/several counts
• once and for all
• one and all
• one-size-fits-all
• pin all one's hopes on
• pull an all-nighter
• pull out all the stops
• put all one's eggs in one basket
• save-all
• say it all
• sod all
• some people/guys have all the luck
• still and all
• take no time at all
• tell-all
• that is all
• that's about it/all
• that's all
• the all clear
• the be-all and end-all
• the best of all (possible) worlds
• the mother of all
• till/until all hours
• time heals all wounds
• to all intents and purposes
• to/by all (outward) appearances
• to crown it all
• to end all
• to top it all
• to top it (all) off
• touch all the bases
• underneath it all
• warts-and-all
• what all
• what's (all) this/that in aid of?
• when all is said and done
• winner takes all
• with (all) (due) respect
• with all one's heart
• with all one's might
• with all one's strength
• worst of all
• written all over someone's face
• you-all

Kids Definition

all

1 of 3 adjective

ˈȯl 

1

a

: the whole of

sat up all night

b

: as much as possible

in all seriousness

2

: every one of

all students can go

3

: any whatever

beyond all doubt

all

2 of 3 adverb

1

: wholly, altogether

sat all alone

all across the country

2

: so much

all the better for it

3

: for each side : apiece

the score is two all

all

3 of 3 pronoun

1

a

: the whole number, quantity, or amount

all that I have

all of us

b

—used in such phrases as for all I know, for all I care, and for all the good it does to show a lack of knowledge, interest, or effectiveness

2

: everyone, everything

known to all

sacrificed all for love

Medical Definition

ALL

abbreviation

acute lymphoblastic leukemia; acute lymphocytic leukemia