approximately all of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "approximately all of" is not correct and is generally not usable in written English.
It is contradictory because "approximately" implies an estimate or a lack of precision, while "all" indicates totality. Example: "Approximately all of the participants agreed on the main issue."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

But first the challenges, approximately all of which involve either putting your hands in things, or hands coming out of things.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

It combines the hubris of his ends — the desire, shared by approximately all of us, to lay claim to the truth — with the humility of his means.

The New York Times - Books

Three regions are considered, approximately: all of Greece and some surrounding areas, and the sub-zones of the Hellenic Arc and the Gulf of Corinth.

Tectonophysics

This morning, we announced the final steps in returning approximately all of the $1.1 billion proceeds from the patent deal with Microsoft to our shareholders by year-end.

TechCrunch

This guy, on the other hand, decided to address approximately all of the political topics currently being discussed in the UK.

Vice

If the amount of caffeine you need to wake up in the morning is approximately "all of it," you're not getting the quality, restorative sleep that seems to belong exclusively to babies and dead people.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Angiosperms represent approximately 80percentt of all the known green plants now living.

Britannica

Approximately 25% of all full Moons are Supermoons, making their frequency not-so-super after all.

Forbes

That is approximately 3% of all deaths that year.

The Guardian - Opinion

The MoD owns approximately 1% of all UK land.

The Guardian

Angiosperms represent approximately 80percentt of all known living green plants.

Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "approximately all of" in formal writing. Replace it with phrases like "nearly all of" or "almost all of" for better clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Don't combine contradictory terms. "Approximately" suggests an estimate, while "all" implies a precise total. Using them together creates a logical inconsistency that weakens your statement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "approximately all of" attempts to function as a quantifier, aiming to express that a quantity is close to being the entirety. However, due to the contradictory nature of "approximately" and "all", its effectiveness is compromised, as also noted by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "approximately all of" is used to express a quantity that is close to the total, but Ludwig AI flags this phrase as grammatically incorrect. While it appears in various contexts, including news, science, and encyclopedias, it's better to avoid it in formal writing. Instead, opt for alternatives like "nearly all of", "almost all of", or "the vast majority of" to maintain grammatical correctness and clarity. These alternatives more accurately convey the intended meaning of near totality without the inherent contradiction.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

nearly all of

Replaces "approximately" with "nearly", offering a more grammatically sound way to express a close-to-complete quantity.

almost all of

Substitutes "approximately" with "almost", providing a more acceptable expression of near totality.

virtually all of

Replaces "approximately" with "virtually", suggesting that while not strictly all, the exceptions are negligible.

the vast majority of

Uses a different construction to indicate that a large portion, but not necessarily all, is included.

the great majority of

Similar to "vast majority", this phrase emphasizes the large proportion without implying absolute totality.

close to all of

Directly indicates a quantity that is near the entirety, but not exactly all.

practically all of

Expresses that for all practical purposes, the quantity is equivalent to all.

the bulk of

Indicates the largest part or most of something, but not necessarily all.

a significant portion of

Focuses on a considerable part of something, which may or may not be close to the entirety.

a substantial amount of

Highlights a large amount, suitable when dealing with non-countable items.

FAQs

Is "approximately all of" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "approximately all of" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The term "approximately" suggests an estimation, while "all" indicates a complete quantity, creating a contradiction. It's better to use phrases like "nearly all of" or "almost all of".

What can I say instead of "approximately all of"?

You can use alternatives such as "nearly all of", "almost all of", "the vast majority of", or "practically all of" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "approximately all of" or "almost all of"?

"Almost all of" is the correct and preferred phrase. "Approximately all of" is considered grammatically awkward due to the conflicting nature of the words. The former option offers a more accurate and clear way to express that nearly everything is included.

What's the difference between "approximately all of" and "the majority of"?

While "the majority of" implies more than half, "approximately all of" attempts to convey a quantity very close to the total. However, since "approximately all of" is considered grammatically incorrect, it is better to use a phrase like ""nearly all of"" or ""almost all of"" when you intend to mean close to the total amount.