not all

USAGE SUMMARY

"not all" is correct and can be used in written English.
It is often used to emphasize a negative statement, such as: "Not all of his friends believed him."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Not all.

The New York Times - Books

Well, not all.

The New Yorker

"Not all were.

The New York Times

But not all are.

The New York Times - Sports

(Not all do.

The New York Times

It's not all right.

The New York Times - Books

This is not all.

Forbes

That's not all, however.

BBC

Not all that much.

Los Angeles Times

Not all the players.

WikiHow

But not all imaginations.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "not all" to precisely indicate that a statement applies to some members of a group, but not the entire group. This avoids overgeneralization and promotes accuracy.

Common error

Avoid using "not all" when the statement is true for only a very small number of cases. In such instances, consider alternatives that accurately reflect the rarity of the occurrence, such as "hardly any" or "very few".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not all" functions as a quantifier, specifically a partial negative quantifier. It indicates that a statement is not universally true, meaning there are exceptions or specific cases where it does not apply. Ludwig AI confirms this with numerous examples demonstrating its usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

63%

Wiki

9%

Science

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "not all" is a versatile quantifier used to express partial negation. As Ludwig AI confirms, its grammatical correctness and frequent usage across diverse sources, including News & Media, Wiki, and Science, highlight its importance in precise communication. To avoid overgeneralizations and acknowledge complexities in your writing, remember that "not all" is a valuable tool. Use it to indicate that a statement applies only to a subset of a group, enhancing the accuracy and credibility of your message. Avoid using it when the statement is almost never true. Alternatives include phrases like "some but not all" or "only some", depending on the context. This phrase provides a vital middle ground between universality and complete negation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

some but not all

Emphasizes the partial nature of the statement, highlighting that only a portion meets the condition.

not every

Focuses on the absence of universality; indicating exceptions exist.

only some

Highlights that the statement applies exclusively to a limited number of instances.

a few

Suggests a small number within a larger group.

not necessarily

Indicates that something is not always the case.

not exclusively

Implies that something else may also be true, besides the stated instance.

partially true

Highlights that the statement is only correct to a certain extent.

not entirely

Similar to "partially true", but emphasizes the lack of completeness.

in some cases

Indicates that the statement is valid under specific conditions or circumstances.

a minority of

Suggests that the statement applies to a smaller portion of the whole.

FAQs

How can I use "not all" in a sentence?

Use "not all" to show that a statement is only true for some members of a group, but not every member. For example, "Not all heroes wear capes".

What's a good alternative to "not all"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "some but not all", "only some", or "not every".

Is it better to say "not all" or "none"?

"Not all" indicates that some exceptions exist, while "none" means that something is absolutely not true. Use "not all" when there are exceptions and "none" when there are no exceptions.

What does "not all that glitters is gold" mean?

This proverb means that appearances can be deceiving, and what seems valuable or attractive on the surface may not actually be so. It implies that you shouldn't judge things solely based on their appearance.