alright

adverb or adjective al·right \ (ˌ)ȯl-ˈrīt , ˈȯl-ˌ \

Updated on: 30 Mar 2018

Definition of alright

: all right

See alright defined for English-language learners

all right or alright?

Although the spelling alright is nearly as old as all right, 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. It is less frequent than all right but remains common especially in informal writing. It is quite common in fictional dialogue and is sometimes found in more formal writing.

- the first two years of medical school were alright
- —Gertrude Stein

Recent Examples of alright from the Web

Kansas looked alright in its survival win over Seton Hall on Saturday.

— scott gleeson, USA TODAY, "March Madness: Five key takeaways from the NCAA tournament's first-round action Saturday," 18 Mar. 2018
Irving and the Cavs actually went through with it, and 25-year-old is doing alright now.

— alysha tsuji, For The Win, "Kyrie Irving shared the best thing he has learned from Kobe Bryant," 2 Feb. 2018
On difficult days, her brother and sister could count on Jeffny's support… and usually a sandwich, with a promise that everything would be alright.

— courant.com, "Statement of Abraham and Shiny Chemmarappally: 'Still impossible to believe that she will never return'," 15 Sep. 2017
And for a brief sliver of time, the world was alright.

— kat bein, Billboard, "10 Stranger Things We Saw at III Points 2017," 17 Oct. 2017
This weekend looks alright at this point, with a blend of sun and clouds and highs near 80 degrees.

— fox 61 weather team, courant.com, "Partly Sunny, Warm Wednesday With A Chance For A Shower," 13 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alright.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.