all but exclusively

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "all but exclusively" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is almost entirely, but not completely, exclusive to a particular group or category. Example: "The club caters to all but exclusively members of the local community."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

M.I.T. was a male world, its administrators and instructors all but exclusively male, and a number of them military men.

The New Yorker

Until quite recently, most American schools focused all but exclusively on American businesses, American business law and American business culture.

The New York Times

For the first two days of the Tripoli fighting, Tripoli Central Hospital treated soldiers all but exclusively, several doctors said.

The New York Times

To insiders, Arista's A&R sector has more in common with a monarchy than a business; signing power is all but exclusively in Davis' hands, and he prides himself on his acumen in identifying future stars.

The Guardian - Music

No matter what inspired it, the term bimbo came to be all but exclusively attached to women, to the extent that an exclusively male equivalent, himbo, had to be invented in the late 80s to redress the balance.

The Guardian - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

4.11pm GMT Leveson highlights: Legal advice, press closing ranks and retaliation Mark Sweney has pulled out this quote on lack of legal advice on privacy: It appears that, until recently, in house legal advisors were rarely asked to advise on privacy issues at all, but focused almost exclusively on libel.

The Guardian

It was painted by unknown female artist Elizabeth Thompson Butler, whose breakthrough in an exclusively male world eventually led her to be all-but-forgotten by history.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Among 40 wildtype females all but one exclusively contained adult fat body.

BMC Biology

Virus was detected in all analyzed organs at day 3 but exclusively in the brain at day 6.

Plosone

Its Lexus brand of luxury cars gets all but one model exclusively from Japan.

The New York Times

But it is not excusing the choices they made to point out that there was, in fact, massive violence visited upon nazism's opponents, above all but far from exclusively in the communist and social democratic parties, as Hitler created his dictatorship, with 100,000 imprisoned in concentration camps, bullied, beaten, tortured and – in at least 600 cases and probably many more – brutally murdered.

The Guardian - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "all but exclusively" to precisely convey that something applies almost entirely to a specific category, but with a few exceptions. This adds nuance and avoids overstatement.

Common error

Avoid using "all but exclusively" when there are significant exceptions. If the exceptions are substantial, consider using phrases like "mostly" or "largely" instead to maintain accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "all but exclusively" functions as an adverbial modifier, specifying the extent to which something is exclusive. It softens the absolute nature of "exclusively", indicating a very high degree of exclusivity while acknowledging possible exceptions. Ludwig AI validates its usability in English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

40%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "all but exclusively" is a useful tool for expressing near-exclusivity with a touch of precision. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is correct and usable in English. The phrase functions as an adverbial modifier, softening the impact of the word "exclusively". It indicates that something applies almost entirely to a specific group or category, while acknowledging some exceptions. It is most commonly found in News & Media and Science contexts. When writing, it's best to use "all but exclusively" to avoid overstatement and to convey the idea that something is almost entirely exclusive, but not completely so.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost entirely

Focuses on the extent to which something is complete, but not absolute.

virtually exclusively

Highlights how something is nearly exclusive, with only minor exceptions.

nearly exclusively

Emphasizes the closeness to being exclusive, with few deviations.

practically exclusively

Stresses the practical reality of exclusivity, even if not technically absolute.

tantamount to exclusively

Implies an equivalent level of exclusivity, though not explicitly stated as such.

effectively exclusively

Indicates that the effect is the same as exclusivity.

for the most part exclusively

Highlights that the exclusivity is generally true, with possible exceptions.

almost without exception

Focuses on the lack of exceptions to the rule.

with rare exceptions

Points out that there are few cases where the exclusivity does not hold.

barring a few exceptions

Indicates that apart from some specific exceptions, exclusivity is the norm.

FAQs

How can I use "all but exclusively" in a sentence?

Use "all but exclusively" to indicate that something is almost entirely limited to a specific group or condition. For example: "The conference was attended "almost entirely" by researchers in the field".

What's a good alternative to "all but exclusively"?

Alternatives include "almost entirely", "nearly exclusively", or "virtually exclusively", depending on the context and the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is "all but exclusively" the same as "exclusively"?

No, "all but exclusively" means 'almost exclusively', implying there are a few exceptions. "Exclusively" means 'only', with no exceptions.

When is it appropriate to use "all but exclusively"?

It's appropriate when you want to emphasize that something is largely true for a particular group or situation, but you acknowledge that there may be a few exceptions to the rule. This adds precision and avoids making an inaccurate blanket statement.