nearly everybody

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "nearly everybody" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to refer to a very large group of people that are almost all included in the group. For example, "Nearly everybody at the party had a good time."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"It happened with nearly everybody.

The New York Times

Once nearly everybody worked on the farm.

The Economist

But today nearly everybody is out.

The New Yorker

It's a drum nearly everybody beats.

The New Yorker

Nearly everybody here is named Wei.

The New Yorker

Nearly everybody wore a rosette.

The Guardian - Sport

It's what nearly everybody here told me.

The New York Times - Arts

It all ends badly for nearly everybody.

The New York Times

Nearly everybody believes these are good ideas.

The New York Times

Nearly everybody is cool with things like contraception.

The New York Times

Thank CrossFit — and nearly everybody selling indoor rowing does.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "nearly everybody", ensure that the context allows for a small number of exceptions. If there are no exceptions, consider using "everybody" instead.

Common error

Avoid using "nearly everybody" when referring to small or specific groups. The phrase is most effective when describing a large, general population.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "nearly everybody" functions as a determiner phrase, modifying a noun (implied or explicit) to indicate that almost all members of a group are being referred to. Ludwig confirms this by providing examples where the phrase is used to describe the extent of agreement, action, or experience within a group.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

96%

Encyclopedias

2%

Formal & Business

1%

Less common in

Science

1%

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "nearly everybody" is a common and grammatically sound way to express that almost everyone in a given group or population shares a certain characteristic or behavior. As Ludwig AI points out, it's widely used in news and media to generalize about public opinion or experiences while acknowledging that exceptions may exist. While highly similar to alternatives like "almost everyone" or "practically everyone", "nearly everybody" provides a nuance that suggests a close approximation without claiming absolute universality. When writing, remember to use "nearly everybody" when there are known or suspected exceptions to a general rule or trend.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost everyone

Replaces "everybody" with "everyone", maintaining nearly identical meaning.

practically everyone

Substitutes "nearly" with "practically", implying a very close approximation to complete inclusion.

virtually everyone

Uses "virtually" instead of "nearly", indicating that the exceptions are negligible.

the vast majority

Shifts from individuals to a collective, emphasizing the large proportion.

almost all people

Replaces "everybody" with the more formal "all people", while retaining similar semantic meaning.

the great bulk of people

Offers a more emphatic and somewhat formal alternative to "nearly everybody".

a large number of individuals

Uses more formal language to convey a similar meaning, focusing on individual persons.

the preponderance of individuals

Emphasizes the dominance of a specific group.

nigh on everyone

Uses the archaic "nigh on" instead of "nearly".

by and large, everyone

Introduces an idiomatic expression to describe general inclusiveness.

FAQs

How can I use "nearly everybody" in a sentence?

You can use "nearly everybody" to indicate that almost everyone in a group shares a characteristic or performs an action. For example, "Nearly everybody enjoyed the concert", meaning that almost all attendees liked the performance.

What's the difference between "nearly everybody" and "almost everybody"?

The phrases "nearly everybody" and "almost everybody" are very similar and often interchangeable. The subtle difference lies in the degree of approximation. "Nearly" might suggest a slightly closer approximation to "everybody" than "almost", but the distinction is often negligible.

Is it correct to say "nearly everyone" instead of "nearly everybody"?

Yes, "nearly everyone" is a perfectly acceptable alternative to "nearly everybody". Both phrases convey the same meaning and are grammatically correct.

When should I use "nearly everybody" over "everybody"?

Use "nearly everybody" when you want to acknowledge that there might be a few exceptions to a general statement. If you know or suspect that not every single person is included, "nearly everybody" is more accurate than "everybody".