Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

All

All

,
Adj.
[OE.
al
, pl.
alle
, AS.
eal
, pl.
ealle
, Northumbrian
alle
, akin to D. & OHG.
al
, Ger.
all
, Icel.
allr
. Dan.
al
, Sw.
all
, Goth.
alls
; and perh. to Ir. and Gael.
uile
, W.
oll
.]
1.
The whole quantity, extent, duration, amount, quality, or degree of; the whole; the whole number of; any whatever; every;
as,
all
the wheat;
all
the land;
all
the year;
all
the strength;
all
happiness;
all
abundance; loss of
all
power; beyond
all
doubt; you will see us
all
(or all of us).
Prove
all
things: hold fast that which is good.
1 Thess. v. 21.
2.
Any.
[Obs.]
“Without all remedy.”
Shak.
☞ When the definite article “the,” or a possessive or a demonstrative pronoun, is joined to the noun that all qualifies, all precedes the article or the pronoun; as, all the cattle; all my labor; all his wealth; all our families; all your citizens; all their property; all other joys.
This word, not only in popular language, but in the Scriptures, often signifies, indefinitely, a large portion or number, or a great part. Thus, all the cattle in Egypt died, all Judea and all the region round about Jordan, all men held John as a prophet, are not to be understood in a literal sense, but as including a large part, or very great numbers.
3.
Only; alone; nothing but.
I was born to speak
all
mirth and no matter.
Shakespeare
All the whole
,
the whole (emphatically).
[Obs.]
“All the whole army.”
Shak.

All

,
adv.
1.
Wholly; completely; altogether; entirely; quite; very;
as,
all
bedewed; my friend is
all
for amusement.
“And cheeks all pale.”
Byron.
☞ In the ancient phrases, all too dear, all too much, all so long, etc., this word retains its appropriate sense or becomes intensive.
2.
Even; just. (Often a mere intensive adjunct.)
[Obs. or Poet.]
All
as his straying flock he fed.
Spenser.
A damsel lay deploring
All
on a rock reclined.
Gay.
All to
, or
All-to
.
In such phrases as “all to rent,” “all to break,” “all-to frozen,” etc., which are of frequent occurrence in our old authors, the all and the to have commonly been regarded as forming a compound adverb, equivalent in meaning to entirely, completely, altogether. But the sense of entireness lies wholly in the word all (as it does in “all forlorn,” and similar expressions), and the to properly belongs to the following word, being a kind of intensive prefix (orig. meaning asunder and answering to the LG. ter-, HG. zer-). It is frequently to be met with in old books, used without the all. Thus Wyclif says, “The vail of the temple was to rent:” and of Judas, “He was hanged and to-burst the middle:” i. e., burst in two, or asunder.
–
All along
.
See under
Along
.
–
All and some
,
individually and collectively, one and all.
[Obs.]
“Displeased all and some.”
Fairfax.
–
All but
.
(a)
Scarcely; not even.
[Obs.]
Shak.
(b)
Almost; nearly.
“The fine arts were all but proscribed.”
Macaulay.
–
All hollow
,
entirely, completely;
as, to beat any one
all hollow
.
[Low]
–
All one
,
the same thing in effect; that is, wholly the same thing.
–
All over
,
over the whole extent; thoroughly; wholly;
as, she is her mother
all over
.
[Colloq.]
–
All the better
,
wholly the better; that is, better by the whole difference.
–
All the same
,
nevertheless.
“There they [certain phenomena] remain rooted all the same, whether we recognize them or not.”
J. C. Shairp.
“But Rugby is a very nice place all the same.”
T. Arnold.
– See also under
All
,
Noun.

All

,
Noun.
The whole number, quantity, or amount; the entire thing; everything included or concerned; the aggregate; the whole; totality; everything or every person;
as, our
all
is at stake
.
Death, as the Psalmist saith, is certain to
all
.
Shakespeare
All
that thou seest is mine.
Gen. xxxi. 43.
All is used with of, like a partitive; as, all of a thing, all of us.
After all
,
after considering everything to the contrary; nevertheless.
–
All in all
,
a phrase which signifies all things to a person, or everything desired; (also adverbially) wholly; altogether.

Thou shalt be
all in all
, and I in thee,
Forever.
Milton.
Trust me not at all, or
all in all
.
Tennyson.
–
All in the wind
(Naut.)
,
a phrase denoting that the sails are parallel with the course of the wind, so as to shake.
–
All told
,
all counted; in all.
–
And all
,
and the rest; and everything connected.
“Bring our crown and all.”
Shak.
–
At all
.
(a)
In every respect; wholly; thoroughly.
[Obs.]
“She is a shrew at al(l).”
Chaucer.
(b)
A phrase much used by way of enforcement or emphasis, usually in negative or interrogative sentences, and signifying in any way or respect; in the least degree or to the least extent; in the least; under any circumstances;
as, he has no ambition
at all
; has he any property
at all
?
“Nothing at all.”
Shak.
“If thy father at all miss me.”
1 Sam. xx. 6
. –
Over all
,
everywhere.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
☞ All is much used in composition to enlarge the meaning, or add force to a word. In some instances, it is completely incorporated into words, and its final consonant is dropped, as in almighty, already, always: but, in most instances, it is an adverb prefixed to adjectives or participles, but usually with a hyphen, as, all-bountiful, all-glorious, allimportant, all-surrounding, etc. In others it is an adjective; as, allpower, all-giver. Anciently many words, as, alabout, alaground, etc., were compounded with all, which are now written separately.

All

,
c
onj.
[Orig.
all
, adv., wholly: used with
though
or
if
, which being dropped before the subjunctive left
all
as if in the sense
although
.]
Although; albeit.
[Obs.]
All
they were wondrous loth.
Spenser.

Webster 1828 Edition

All

ALL

,
Adj.
awl.
[Gr. Shemitic from calah, to be ended or completed to perfect.]
1.
Every one, or the whole number of particulars.
2.
The whole quantity, extent, duration, amount, quality, or degree; as, all the wheat; all the land; all the year; all the strength. This word signifies then, the whole or entire thing, or all the parts or particulars which compose it. It always precedes the definitive adjectives, the, my, thy, his, our, your, their; as, all the cattle; all my labor; all thy goods; all his wealth; all our families; all your citizens; all their property.
This word, not only in popular language, but in the scriptures, often signifies, indefinitely, a large portion or number, or a great part. Thus, all the cattle in Egypt died; all Judea and all the region round about Jordan; all men held John as a prophet; are not to be understood in a literal sense, but as including a large part or very great numbers.
This word is prefixed to many other words, to enlarge their signification; as already, always, all-prevailing.

ALL

,
adv.
Wholly; completely; entirely; as all along; all bedewed; all over; my friend is all for amusement; I love my father all. In the ancient phrases, all too dear, all so long, this word retains its appropriate sense; as,'he thought them six-pence all too dear,' that is, he thought them too dear by the sum of sixpence. In the sense of although, as, 'all were it as the rest,' and in the sense of just, or at the moment, as 'all as his straying flock he fed,' it is obsolete, or restricted to poetry.
It is all one is a phrase equivalent to the same thing in effect; that is, it is wholly the same thing.
All the better is equivalent to wholly the better; that is, better by the whole difference.

ALL

,
Noun.
1.
The whole number; as, all have not the same disposition; that is, all men.
2.
The whole; the entire thing; the aggregate amount; as, our all is at stake.
And Laban said, all that thou seest is mine. Gen. 31.
This adjective is much used as a noun, and applied to persons or things.
All in all is a phrase which signifies, all things to a person, or every thing desired.
Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee, Forever.
When the words, and all close an enumeration of particulars, the word all is either intensive, or is added as a general term to express what is not enumerated; as a tree fell, nest, eagles and all.
At all is a phrase much used by way of enforcement or emphasis, usually in negative or interrogative sentences. He has no ambition at all; that is, not in the least degree. Has he any property at all?
All and some, in Spenser, Mason interprets, one and all. But from Lye's Saxon dictionary_webster1828, it appears that the phrase is a corruption of the Sax. ealle at somne, all together, all at once, from somne, together, at once. See Lye under Somne.
All in the wind, in seamen's language, is a phrase denoting that the sails are parallel with the course of the wind, so as to shake.
All is well is a watchman's phrase, expressing a state of safety.
All, in composition, enlarges the meaning, or adds force to a word; and it is generally more emphatical than most. In some instances, all is incorporated into words, as in almighty, already, always; but in most instances, it is an adjective prefixed to other words, but separated by a hyphen.

Definition 2024

All

All

See also: Appendix:Variations of "all"

German

Noun

All n ‎(genitive Alls, no plural)

  1. cosmos

Declension

Derived terms

Synonyms

all

all

See also: Appendix:Variations of "all"

English

Alternative forms

  • al (obsolete)

Adverb

all ‎(not comparable)

  1. (degree) intensifier.
    You’ve got it all wrong.
    She was all, “Whatever.”
  2. (poetic) Entirely.
    • Charles Wesley, Tis mystery all.
  3. Apiece; each.
    The score was 30 all when the rain delay started.
  4. (degree) So much.
    Don't want to go? All the better since I lost the tickets.
  5. (dialect, Pennsylvania) All gone; dead.
    The butter is all.
  6. (obsolete, poetic) even; just
    • Spenser
      All as his straying flock he fed.
    • Gay
      A damsel lay deploring / All on a rock reclined.

Synonyms

Translations

Determiner

In this picture, all of the red shapes are inside the yellow boundary.

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.‎
    • 1893, Walter Besant, The Ivory Gate, chapter III:
      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. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
      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.
  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. Everyone.
    A good time was had by all.‎
  4. 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.‎
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 3, in The Celebrity:
      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.
  5. (obsolete) Any.
  6. Only; alone; nothing but.
    He's all talk; he never puts his ideas into practice.‎

Translations

Noun

all ‎(countable and uncountable, plural alls)

  1. (with a possessive pronoun) Everything possible.
    She gave her all, and collapsed at the finish line.
  2. (countable) The totality of one's possessions.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, 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.

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

Conjunction

all

  1. (obsolete) although
    • (Can we date this quote?) Spenser
      All they were wondrous loth.

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: from · this · but · #30: all · him · she · they

Albanian

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₂elu- ‘bitter’. Compare Old English ealu ‎(“ale”), Latin alum ‎(“comfrey”), alūta ‎(“tawed leather”), Polish zjełczały (Eastern) jełki, iłki ‎(“rancid”), Ancient Greek ἀλύδοιμος ‎(alúdoimos, “bitter”).

Adjective

all m ‎(feminine alle)

  1. of reddish colour

Breton

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈalː/

Adjective

all

  1. other

Derived terms

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin allium.

Pronunciation

  • (Balearic) IPA(key): /ˈaʎ/
  • (Central) IPA(key): /ˈaʎ/
  • (Valencian) IPA(key): /ˈaʎ/
  • Rhymes: -aʎ

Noun

all m ‎(plural alls)

  1. garlic

Estonian

Etymology

From the same Uralic root *ala as Finnish ala- and Hungarian alatt.

Postposition

all

  1. under, below (Governs the genitive)

Derived terms

German

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /al/
  • Rhymes: -al

Adjective

all ‎(not comparable)

  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.
  2. every (in time intervals, with plural noun)
    Wir treffen uns alle zwei Wochen.
    We meet up every two weeks.

Declension

Declension of aller
masculine feminine neuter plural
nominative aller alle alles alle
genitive alles
allen		 aller alles
allen		 aller
dative allem aller allem allen
accusative allen alle alles alle

Usage notes

  • The bare form all is used with articles and pronouns, which it precedes (as in English). For instance: all die Sachen ‎(“all the things”); all dies[es] Gerede ‎(“all this chitchat”); all meine Freunde ‎(“all my friends”). Colloquial German often uses the adjective ganz instead: die ganzen Sachen; dies[es] ganze Gerede; meine ganzen Freunde.

Derived terms

Gothic

Romanization

all

  1. Romanization of 𐌰𐌻𐌻

Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɑl/
  • Rhymes: -ɑl

Pronoun

all

  1. (with uncountable or plural nouns) all
  2. (with countable singular nouns) every; each
    Et muss een net mat all Virschlag eens sinn.
    One needn’t agree to every proposition.

Usage notes

  • The word is usually uninflected, except for the dative plural, which becomes allen.

Derived terms

Synonyms

  • (every, each): jidder, jiddwer

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse allr

Determiner

all ‎(neuter singular alt, plural alle)

  1. all

Derived terms

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse allr

Determiner

all ‎(neuter singular alt, plural alle)

  1. all

Derived terms

References

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish alder, from Old Norse allr, from Proto-Germanic *allaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-.

Pronunciation

Pronoun

all ‎(neuter allt, plural alla)

  1. all
    Drack du upp all mjölk?
    Did you drink all the milk?

Related terms

Usage notes

All (with inflections) is used with mass nouns. The corresponding for nouns with ordinary plural is alla.

A masculine-looking form (alle) is virtually only retained in the fixed expressions alle man and allesamman ‎(“everyone”).

Welsh

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /aɬ/

Verb

all

  1. Soft mutation of gall.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ʔal]
  • Rhymes: -al

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