all
awl
All (determiner) means Every one of; the whole amount, quantity, or extent of. Example: “All the students passed the exam.”
determiner
1
Every one of; the whole amount, quantity, or extent of.
"All the students passed the exam."
"She spent all her savings on the trip."
"She ate all the biscuits before anyone else arrived."
pronoun
1
Everything or everyone, considered as a whole.
"All is not lost."
"We gave our all to win that match."
"I think that is all we need for the picnic."
adverb
1
Completely or entirely.
"She was all alone in the house."
"He was dressed all in black."
"The floor was all wet after the pipe burst."
How to use all
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe whole of something, with nothing left out — as a determiner, pronoun, or intensifying adverb.
Common pairings
all day
all the way
all of us
once and for all
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Word forms
- Plural
- alls
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_____ the students passed the exam.
Etymology
From Old English eall, an ancient Germanic word going back to a prehistoric Indo-European root meaning simply "all."
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for all
See all rhymes for 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.
Example sentences
Real-world examples showing all in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.
If all goes as Toronto intends and the team reacquires the two-time Finals MVP, then the Raptors will be positioned as one of the top Finals contenders in the East.
From
ESPN · Jul 24, 2026
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