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
On road trips, my friends and I, all under the age of 30, still roll down the windows and blast the Eagles. Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2025 This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the original Hector bag, so 2025 will be all about Hector at Thom Browne. Nadja Sayej, Forbes.com, 28 July 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
  • Tanner, who is quite religious, was doing the latter.
    Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Most of the utensils were pretty cheap, quite worn, and really should have been tossed a long time ago—including my black plastic spatula.
    Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • The House and Senate each passed the BBB by razor thin margins with most votes on party lines.
    Martin Shenkman, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
  • The Spaniard and the American each rocked a Rolex watch during the award ceremonies at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, France, yesterday, Hodinkee reported.
    Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • Whether giving someone your undivided attention or attending a meeting to support a colleague, showing up matters more than ever.
    Joseph Liu, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Her parents are too busy to give her undivided attention, her best friend Vali is starting to hang out more with a classmate who’s often unkind, and her favorite teacher is retiring.
    Caroline Carlson August 1, Literary Hub, 1 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • Originally built in the 1970s and fully transformed by the actress with an eye toward beautiful and inviting spaces for entertaining, the hedged and gated residence sits amid a one-acre parcel with sweeping coastline views.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2025
  • One of the world's most prolific serial killers, Bundy confessed to murdering at least 30 women and young girls between 1974 and 1978, and investigators suspect that there may be many more victims, as the extent of his crimes (which also included rape and kidnapping) isn't fully known.
    Jessica Sager, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The platform that controls your shopping agent controls your entire commerce relationship — discovery, decision, payment, and loyalty.
    Jason Goldberg, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
  • The songs are part of an entire album to coincide with the show’s release.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Getting feedback early and rebuilding small chunks is 100 times better than rebuilding a whole product for years.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • So Trump’s rotten character is now a problem for our whole economy.
    Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • The menu features succulent beef joints and tender game meats, accompanied by perfectly roasted root vegetables.
    Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Turner’s music perfectly evokes on an emotional level the sentiment of the film, the essence of a place and people that only exist in the past, Aljafari adds.
    Ed Meza, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • Usually these products only control grasses and need about a month to be totally effective.
    Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Atlanta Braves’ Wing Woes Waldrep is with Atlanta as the best option after injuries totally decimated the Braves’ staff.
    Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“All.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/all. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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