practically all but

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "practically all but" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is nearly complete or almost entirely true, with a slight exception. Example: "The project is practically all but finished; we just need to finalize a few details."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Opportunistic Republicans — not just Santorum, but practically all the candidates — are seeking to channel this anger and direct it against President Obama.

The New Yorker

I love having an apartment practically all to myself (my roommate is usually working), but yet, it gets lonely.

Huffington Post

But don't all the people pay the Social Security tax? A. Practically all.

The New York Times

He did practically all the talking.

The New York Times

The corollary of this is that the frame, line and pixel synchronisation signals from all the cameras are practically indistinguishable and all but one can effectively be discarded.

European Transport Research Review

Me (gives him big hug): "I didn't cook anything because I was just dicking around on the Internet practically all day but I got us pizza.

Huffington Post

Because of their specific presence in practically all cyanobacteria, but generally no other bacteria, these proteins could be regarded as the cyanobacterial signature proteins.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Not just because I've worked in ITV for practically all my career, but because I've always believed that a mass-appeal commercial broadcaster has a special opportunity and a special responsibility to enrich the nation's viewing.

The Guardian

"I knew practically all the texts, but it was a joy to read them all over again," said the sixty-five-year-old pensioner, who believes that Tolstoy's writings can help twenty-first-century readers better understand their purpose in life.

The New Yorker

In the 1960s and 1970s, theories, which contained ideas about reforming society and struggling for truth, and religious convictions were not referred to delusional paranoid disorders in practically all foreign classifications, but Soviet psychiatry, proceeding from ideological conceptions, referred critique of the political system and proposals to reform this system to the delusional construct.

Wikipedia

To estimate the proliferative activity in BM-MMSC we calculated population doubling time (PD) for each sample in successive passages, and found out that at the first steps of in vitro expansion PD was less than 24 h in practically all tested samples, but increased gradually during expansion, and could reach more than 7 days by P3.

Aging

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "practically all but" when you want to express that something is true or applicable in almost every instance, with only a minor exception. This adds nuance compared to saying simply "all".

Common error

Avoid using "practically all but" when the exception is significant or undermines the overall statement. In such cases, a more qualified statement is necessary to maintain accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "practically all but" functions as a qualifying expression, modifying a statement to indicate near-universality. It introduces a nuance, acknowledging a small exception to an otherwise general truth. Ludwig's analysis confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

Academia

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Encyclopedias

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Wiki

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "practically all but" serves as a qualifying expression, indicating that a statement is broadly true with a minor exception. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness, although available examples are limited, suggesting rare usage. When using "practically all but", ensure that the exception is indeed minor and that acknowledging it adds value to the statement. Alternatives include "almost all except" or "virtually all except". This phrase is versatile but requires careful application to maintain clarity and precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost all except

Emphasizes the nearness to totality, highlighting the exception.

virtually all except

Indicates a condition that is true in almost every case, with a specific exclusion.

nearly all with the exception of

Formally specifies that only a small part is not included.

almost without exception

Focuses on the rarity of exceptions to the general rule.

with very few exceptions

Highlights the scarcity of cases that do not fit the overall pattern.

for the most part all

Implies a generality that is largely true but may not be precise.

substantially all with the omission of

Emphasizes the significant portion included while noting a specific exclusion.

effectively all but

Suggests that, in practice, the result is almost universally inclusive.

in essence all save for

Highlights the underlying truth of near completeness, despite a small number of deviations.

to all intents and purposes all except

Focuses on the functional reality of near-total inclusion, setting aside the few differing cases.

FAQs

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

Use "practically all but" to indicate that something is almost entirely true, save for a small exception. For example, "Practically all but one student passed the exam."

What can I say instead of "practically all but"?

Alternatives include "almost all except", "virtually all except", or "nearly all with the exception of" depending on the desired emphasis.

Is there a subtle difference between "practically all but" and "almost all"?

Yes, "practically all but" specifically highlights the exception, while "almost all" focuses on the near completeness without emphasizing the exception. The choice depends on whether the exception is noteworthy.

In what contexts is "practically all but" most appropriate?

"Practically all but" is appropriate in contexts where precision is needed, and it's important to acknowledge a minor deviation from a general truth. It is useful in news, academic, and business writing.