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
In other words, the dancers don’t all look the same. David Lyman, The Enquirer, 7 Aug. 2025 Fall is all about warm, rich, and cozy comfort foods. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 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
  • Read the full Taurus Daily Horoscope Gemini (May 21 - June 21) Is your inner world calling for your undivided attention?
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
  • 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
Adverb
  • Still, the largest enterprise customers will likely take much longer to fully transition.
    Steve McDowell, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • After the fire is fully contained, the next step is to control it.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Doors close for the duration of the flight, so plan on staying for the entire 90-minute window.
    Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2025
  • The Old Farmer's Almanac is also predicting a warm and dry fall season for the entire state.
    Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • But Democrats continue to escalate the matter, and the whole thing has become a farce for Republicans, Democrats and the state.
    Nicole Russell, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Ohtani is expected to be available for the whole series; the two-way marvel missed Thursday’s win in Colorado after he was pelted by a line drive atop the mound.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • Each bite of this classic comfort food delivers taste and textural elements that perfectly compliment each other.
    Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2025
  • In the end, Powell managed to thread the needle perfectly and, as a result, all three major averages are rallying at least 1.5%.
    Zev Fima, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2025
Adverb
  • McBride is able to capture the often indistinguishable line between agony and pleasure, the way one can be known totally and known not at all from one moment to the next.
    Book Marks August 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
  • That was just a totally different recording procedure.
    Pat Blashill, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“All.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/all. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

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