Meaning & use
all in all
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Taking everything into account; used to introduce a final overall judgment.
Grammar: Sits at the start or end of a sentence, usually set off by a comma.
Patterns
- All in all, ...
- ..., all in all
All in all, the trip was a success.
The food was cold, but, all in all, we had a good evening.
It was, all in all, a quiet year for the team.
Common combinations
- all in all, it was
- All in all, it was a pleasant afternoon.
- all in all, I think
- All in all, I think the plan is sound.
- all in all, a good
- All in all, a good result for the school.
- all in all, not bad
- All in all, not bad for a first try.
Synonyms and how they differ
- overall
- Overall is a single word that fits more easily in the middle of a sentence.
- on the whole
- On the whole admits some exceptions to a general view, so it feels a bit more cautious.
- in conclusion
- In conclusion signals the end of a speech or essay and is more formal.
- by and large
- By and large stresses a general tendency instead of summing up a series of points.
Word family
Commonly confused: all in all or all in one?
all in all vs all in one
All in one means combined in a single thing, as in an all-in-one printer, and does not sum up an opinion.
Practice
The weather was poor and the hotel was noisy; ___, we still enjoyed the holiday.
Choose one answer.
All in all introduces an overall judgment. After all would give a reason, and the other options do not work as a summary.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “all in all”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.