What is "all in all"

All \All\, n. 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. --Shak. All that thou seest is mine. --Gen. xxxi. 43. Note: 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.

1. In every respect; wholly; thoroughly. [Obs.] ``She is a shrew at al(l).''
   --Chaucer.

2. 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.

   Note: 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.

adv. (context modal set phrase English) generally, all things considered

adv. with everything considered (and neglecting details); "altogether, I'm sorry it happened"; "all in all, it's not so bad" [syn: on the whole, altogether, tout ensemble]