all
11 synonyms and 1 antonym for all, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Determiner — Every one of; the whole amount, quantity, or extent of.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
the whole lot
Synonyms by Meaning
1. determiner
Every one of; the whole amount, quantity, or extent of.
“All the students passed the exam.”
Opposites
2. adverb
Completely or entirely.
“She was all alone in the house.”
How to use all
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
all day
all the way
all of us
once and for all
Etymology
From Old English eall, an ancient Germanic word going back to a prehistoric Indo-European root meaning simply "all."
Full origin of all →Frequently asked questions
What does “all” mean?
The word “all” means every one of; the whole amount, quantity, or extent of. In plain terms, the whole of something, with nothing left out — as a determiner, pronoun, or intensifying adverb.
How do you pronounce “all”?
“All” is pronounced awl (/ɔl/ in IPA).
How do you use “all” in a sentence?
Here is “all” used in a sentence: “All the students passed the exam.”
What is another word for “all”?
Words with a similar meaning to “all” include completely.
What part of speech is “all”?
Depending on how it is used, “all” can be a determiner, a pronoun and an adverb.
Where does the word “all” come from?
The word “all” comes from Old English. From Old English eall, an ancient Germanic word going back to a prehistoric Indo-European root meaning simply "all.".
Is “all” a common word?
“All” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “all” have?
“All” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: every one of; the whole amount, quantity, or extent of.
What is the difference between "all" and "every"?
"Every" goes with a singular noun and considers members one by one ("every student has a locker"), while "all" goes with plural or uncountable nouns and treats them as a complete group ("all students," "all water"). "Every" also cannot stand alone as a pronoun, but "all" can: "All were present."
What is the difference between "all" and "whole"?
With singular countable nouns, "whole" follows the article ("the whole cake"), while "all" comes before it ("all the cake"); both cover the entire thing. With plurals the meanings split: "all the villages" means every village, but "whole villages" means entire individual villages.
Is "all" singular or plural?
It depends on what "all" refers to. Use a plural verb when it stands for countable people or things ("All of them are here") and a singular verb when it means everything as a whole ("All is well," "all was quiet"). Whatever "all" replaces controls the agreement.
Do you say "all the" or "all of the"?
Both are correct before a noun: "all the money" and "all of the money" mean the same, with "all of" sounding slightly more emphatic or formal. Before a pronoun, "of" is required: "all of us," never "all us" in standard writing.
