all

Alternative forms

• al (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English all, from Old English eall, from Proto-West Germanic *all, from Proto-Germanic *allaz, of uncertain origin^[1] but perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (“beyond, other”). Cognate with West Frisian al (“all”), Dutch al (“all”), Scots a' (“all”), German all (“all”), Swedish all (“all”), Norwegian all (“all”), Icelandic allur (“all”), Welsh holl (“all”), Irish uile (“all”), Lithuanian aliái (“all, each, every”).

The dialectal sense “all gone” is a calque of German alle. The use in who all, where all etc. also has equivalents in German (see alles).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ôl IPA^(key): /ɔːl/, [oːɫ]

• Audio (London):

  (file)

• (US)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ɔl/, [ɔɫ]
  • (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ɑl/

    • Audio (US):

      (file)

• (Canada) IPA^(key): [ɔːɫ]
• Homophones: awl, I'll (some dialects)
• Rhymes: -ɔːl

Determiner

all

1. Every individual or anything of the given class, with no exceptions (the noun or noun phrase denoting the class must be plural or uncountable).

   All contestants must register at the scorer’s table.

   All flesh is originally grass.

   All my friends like classical music.

   • 1638, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy. […], 5th edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] [Robert Young, Miles Flesher, and Leonard Lichfield and William Turner] for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 2, member 6, subsection iv, page 298:

     Beautie alone is a ſoveraigne remedy againſt feare,griefe,and all melancholy fits; a charm,as Peter de la Seine and many other writers affirme,a banquet it ſelfe;he gives inſtance in diſcontented Menelaus that was ſo often freed by Helenas faire face: and ^hTully, 3 Tusc. cites Epicurus as a chiefe patron of this Tenent.

   • 1892, Walter Besant, chapter III, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:

     In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass. In this way all respectable burgesses, down to fifty years ago, spent their evenings.

   • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:

     Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path […]. It twisted and turned, […] and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. And, back of the lawn, was a big, old-fashioned house, with piazzas stretching in front of it, and all blazing with lights.

   • 2019 March 6, Drachinifel, 25:58 from the start, in The Battle of Samar (Alternate History) - Bring on the Battleships!‎, archived from the original on 4 July 2022:

     On the one hand, we had a scenario where, effectively, the American admiral just went "You know what, all the destroyers attack", at which point they mowed through the Japanese destroyers like a Grim Reaper through a harvest of very, very dead gorn, especially with the Brooklyns in support.

2. Throughout the whole of (a stated period of time; generally used with units of a day or longer).

   The store is open all day and all night.

   (= through the whole of the day and the whole of the night.)

   I’ve been working on this all year.

   (= from the beginning of the year until now.)

3. Only; alone; nothing but.

   He's all talk; he never puts his ideas into practice.

   • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

     I was born to speak all mirth and no matter.

4. (obsolete) Any.
   • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

     without all remedy

Pronoun

all

1. Everything.

   Some gave all they had.

   She knows all and sees all.

   Those who think they know it all are annoying to those of us who do.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter III, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     Now all this was very fine, but not at all in keeping with the Celebrity's character as I had come to conceive it. The idea that adulation ever cloyed on him was ludicrous in itself. In fact I thought the whole story fishy, and came very near to saying so.

2. Everyone.

   A good time was had by all.

   We all enjoyed the movie.

   • 2012 October 9, Amy Hauser, Tom Hauser, chapter 7, in Marge Thompson, Frankie M. Leisering, editors, In His Grip … a Walk Through Breast Cancer‎, WestBow Press, →ISBN, page 39:

     Hey all, just a quick note as I am trying to do 46 things at once and slow down a touch all at once…

3. The only thing(s).

   All that was left was a small pile of ash.

   We ate potatoes and ziti .... that's all.

5. (chiefly Southern US, South Midland US, Midland US, Scotland, Northern Ireland, India) Used after who, what, where, how and similar words, either without changing their meaning, or indicating that one expects that they cover more than one element, e.g. that "Who all attended?" is more than one person. (Some dialects only allow this to follow some words and not others.)
   • 1904 October 10, Shea v. Nilima, [US] Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in 1905, Reports Containing the Cases Determined in All the Circuits from the Organization of the Courts, page 266:

     Q. Now, then, when you started to go to stake the claims, who all went along?

     A. I and Johan Peter Johansen, Otto Greiner, and Thorulf Kjelsberg.

   • 1998, Paul D. Staudohar, editor, Football's Best Short Stories‎, section 107:

     "I mean, you could have called us—collect, o'course—jes' to let us know how-all it's a-goin'."

   • 2002, Richard Haddock, Arkalalah, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 73:

     "Where all did he go? What exactly was his job?" Gary shrugged and produced a weak laugh. "I reckon the Middle East. Ain't that where all the oil is?"

   • 2011, Moni Mohsin, Tender Hooks, Random House India, →ISBN:

     "Do you ever ask me what I want to see? Or ask me about where all I've gone, who all I've met, what all I've done? Never. Not for one second. And why? Because you don't give two hoops about me."

Adverb

all (not comparable)

1. (intensifier, sometimes childish) Wholly; entirely; completely; totally.

   She was sitting all alone.
   It suddenly went all quiet.
   I'm all done, Mommy! I did it all by myself.

   • 1738, Charles Wesley, “And can it be that I should gain”, in John Wesley, editor, A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, Charlestown: Lewis Timothy, →OCLC:

     'Tis mystery all: th'Immortal dies

   • 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1965, →OCLC, page 127:

     The parson, all unaware, dully pursued his calling, perched above the exquisite derision of their glances.

2. Apiece; each.

   The score was 30 all when the rain delay started.

3. (degree) So much.

   Don't want to go? All the better since I lost the tickets.

4. (obsolete, poetic) Even; just.
   • 1579, Edmund Spenser, The Shepheardes Calender, London: Hugh Singleton, →OCLC:

     All as his straying flock he fed.

   • 1715, John Gay, What D’ye Call It?, London: Bernard Lintott, →OCLC:

     A damsel lay deploring / All on a rock reclined.

5. A quotative particle, compare like.

   She was all, “Whatever.”

Noun

all (countable and uncountable, plural alls)

1. (with a possessive pronoun) Everything that one is capable of.

   She gave her all, and collapsed at the finish line.

2. (countable) The totality of one's possessions.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:
     Folio Society 1973, pp. 37-8:

     she therefore ordered Jenny to pack up her alls and begone, for that she was determined she should not sleep that night within her walls. […] I packed up my little all as well as I could, and went off.

3. Everything in general; all that matters.

   I will die fighting for my people, because my people are all.

   • 1992, Bruce Coville, My Teacher Flunked the Planet:

     All are one and one is all.

Conjunction

all

1. (obsolete) Although.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, volume 2, London: Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     And those two froward sisters, their faire loves, / Came with them eke, all they were wondrous loth.

Adjective

all

1. (Pennsylvania, dialect) All gone; dead.

   The butter is all.

Related terms

See also

References

Anagrams

• LAL, Lal, Lal.

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish آل (al).^[1]

Adjective

all (feminine alle)

1. of glowing, reddish color

References

Further reading

• Newmark, L. (1999) “all”, in Oxford Albanian-English Dictionary‎
• “all”, in FGJSH: Fjalor i gjuhës shqipe [Dictionary of the Albanian language] (in Albanian), 2006

Etymology

See arall (“other”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈalː/, IPA^(key): /ˈɛl/

Adjective

all

1. other

Etymology

Inherited from Latin allium. Compare Occitan alh, French ail, Spanish ajo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈaʎ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʎ

Noun

all m (plural alls)

1. garlic
2. garlic clove

Further reading

• “all” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “all”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “all” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “all” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *alla.

Postposition

all

1. under, below (Governs the genitive)

Etymology

From Middle High German al, from Old High German al, from Proto-West Germanic *all, from Proto-Germanic *allaz. Cognate with English all.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -al

Determiner

all

1. all

   Alle Menschen sind gleich.

   All people are equal.

   Du musst doch nicht allen Unsinn nachmachen, den du hörst!

   You needn't reproduce all nonsense that you hear!

   • 1843, Karl Ludwig Kannegießer (translation from Italian into German), Die göttliche Komödie des Dante Alighieri, 4th edition, 1st part, Leipzig, p. 84:

     ... / Nachdem, von Wuth und Grausamkeit entbronnen, / Der Weiberschwarm die Männer all erschlug.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. every (in time intervals, with plural noun)

   Wir treffen uns alle zwei Wochen.

   We meet up every two weeks.

Further reading

• “all” in Duden online
• “all” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Romanization

all

1. Romanization of 𐌰𐌻𐌻

Etymology

From Middle High German al, from Old High German al, from Proto-West Germanic *all, from Proto-Germanic *allaz. Cognate with German all.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al/

Determiner

all

1. all, every

   Alle Kinner schlofe jetz.

   All children are sleeping now.

   Aller Aanfang is schwäer.

   Every beginning is difficult.

Pronoun

all

1. everyone

   All, wo dart waare, sin gestorreb.

   Everyone who was there died.

Adverb

all

1. all, completely

   Das is all fertich.

   This is all finished.

Further reading

• Online Hunsrik Dictionary

Etymology

From Middle High German and Old High German al, from Proto-Germanic *allaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɑl]
• Rhymes: -ɑl

Determiner

all

1. (inflected, before plural or rarely singular noun) all

   All Kanner kënne matmaachen.

   All children may participate.

   D’Konschtwierk gouf vun alle Leit bewonnert.

   The artwork was admired by all people.

   mat aller Kraaft ― with all [available] force

2. (invariable, before another determiner) all, the whole of

   Trotz all sengem Talent ass näischt aus him ginn.

   Despite all his talent he achieved nothing.

3. (invariable, before singular noun) every, each

   Synonyms: jidder, jiddwer

   All Employé huet d’Recht op bezuelte Congé.

   Every employee has a right to paid leave.

   Et muss een net mat all Virschlag eens sinn.

   One needn’t agree to every proposition.

Pronoun

all

1. all

   Meng Äntwerte waren all richteg.

   My answers were all correct.

Alternative forms

• al

Etymology

From Old English eall, from Proto-West Germanic *all, from Proto-Germanic *allaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al/

Adverb

all

1. all (entirely, completely)

Determiner

all

1. all, every
   • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎, published c. 1410, Coꝛinthis ·ii· 11:9, page 72r, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

     ⁊ whanne I was a mong ȝou ⁊ hadde nede .· I was chargeouſe to no man / foꝛ bꝛiþeren þat camen fro macedonye fulfilliden þat þat failide to me / ⁊ in alle þingis I haue kept and ſchal kepe me wiþouten charge to ȝou

     And when I was amongst you and felt need, I wasn't burdensome to anybody, because brothers who came from Macedonia provided whatever I didn't have. So in everything, I've kept, and will keep, myself from burdening you.

Etymology

From Old Norse allr.

Determiner

all (neuter singular alt, plural alle)

1. all

References

• “all” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Alternative forms

• adl’u, add’e, all’e, aill, aillj (dialectal)

Etymology

From Old Norse allr, from Proto-Germanic *allaz (“all”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (“all”). Cognate with Faroese and Icelandic allur, Swedish all and Danish al. Akin to English all.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alː/
• IPA^(key): /aʎː/ (dialectal palatalization, Trøndelag and Northern Norway)
• IPA^(key): /adl/ (dialectal)

Adjective

all m or f (neuter alt, plural alle)

1. all
2. (in the plural) everybody
3. over, at an end, finished

   Sumaren er all. ― The summer is at an end.

   • 1773, E. Storm, Paa Kongjens Føssilsdag:

     Mæin kor tæk mid Drikkjen, Jula æ no oull, / Kagga vor aa Bolla æ baa tur aa koull?

     But where do we take the drink? Christmas is over, you know, / our keg and our bowl are both dry and cold.

4. tired, exhausted, worn out; weak

   Skorne er alle ― The shoes are worn out.

5. dead

   Han er mest all. ― He’s almost dead.

References

• “all” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑll/, [ɑɫ]

Adjective

all (Anglian)

1. Alternative form of eall