all 1 of 3

all

2 of 3

adjective

all

3 of 3

pronoun

as in everyone
every person a joyous holiday to one and all!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word all distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of all are entire, total, and whole. While all these words mean "including everything or everyone without exception," all may equal whole, entire, or total.

all proceeds go to charity

When might entire be a better fit than all?

The synonyms entire and all are sometimes interchangeable, but entire may suggest a state of completeness or perfection to which nothing can be added.

the entire population was wiped out

When could total be used to replace all?

In some situations, the words total and all are roughly equivalent. However, total implies that everything has been counted, weighed, measured, or considered.

the total number of people present

Where would whole be a reasonable alternative to all?

While in some cases nearly identical to all, whole implies that nothing has been omitted, ignored, abated, or taken away.

read the whole book

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of all
Adverb
If Ward, Sanders, and Dart are all off the board when the Steelers come up, the team could get desperate. Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025 Or, as Dries put it, was all about paying attention. Brett Braley, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Also while at Kansas, Townsend has coached 13 NBA Draft lottery selections, more than 30 overall NBA draftees and 70 all-Big 12 Jayhawks. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2025 This touchscreen laptop is big on power, but small in stature thanks to a Ryzen 7 CPU and an all-metal chassis weighing only 3.62 pounds. Jade Chung-Lee, PC Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for all
Recent Examples of Synonyms for all
Adverb
  • The hidden joke of their routines — what even a lot of the long-haired druggie types in the audience didn’t quite get — is that the counterculture was over.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Some Democrats in Congress apparently quite seriously considered carrying empty egg cartons to the address as a form of protest.
    Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Adverb
  • As of Wednesday’s close, the Dow and Nasdaq were each less than 1% off their all-time highs.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2025
  • The longtime friends are each dry witted, yet oddly warm in the face of painful events.
    Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Residents in dozens of other states can put the kids to bed and then give their undivided attention to watching their state legislators at work for their constituents.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Other times, dense prose or consonant heavy character names require undivided attention to maintain reading momentum.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025
Adverb
  • The chairs fully recline and can be locked in an upright or laid back position, ensuring safety and stability.
    Maggie Horton, People.com, 3 May 2025
  • The finish paint and the primer can chemically bond to one another, since the primer has yet to fully cure.
    Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2025
Adjective
  • Dina’s hair looks incredible the entire time, by the way.
    Kate Aurthur, Variety, 5 May 2025
  • Since then, the Club Shay Shay host and his legal team have vehemently denied the allegations and claimed the Jane Doe set up the entire situation with a plan to extort him for $50 million.
    Regina Cho, VIBE.com, 5 May 2025
Adjective
  • And so that was my struggle throughout the whole scene — just trying not to cry.
    Kate Aurthur, Variety, 5 May 2025
  • Whether or not President Trump's going to dismiss him is a whole different conversation.
    CBS News, CBS News, 4 May 2025
Adverb
  • Not everything landed perfectly, with the writing of many of the live bits feeling like the staff are just going through the motions, but Brunson’s ability to commit to each role and work seamlessly off the cast more than made up for it.
    Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 4 May 2025
  • With the future of the show uncertain, the cast and crew shot the episode with a conclusion that wraps up the series perfectly.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 May 2025
Adverb
  • The best highlighter sticks are embodied by a few of our favorite adjectives: convenient, straightforward, and totally stunning.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The film’s slim thread to recognizable reality is Kendrick’s Stephanie, who always looks like someone who would nervously pill a dinner roll while pretending to be totally absorbed in the table conversation.
    Tom Gliatto, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“All.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/all. Accessed 9 May. 2025.

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