So what's the difference? First you need to understand the difference between all and all the. We use all (without an article) when we're talking about the noun in general. Who should I meet in New York but Max of all people! = Of all the people in New York, who should I run into but Max! [=I was very surprised to meet Max in New York] ALL definition: the whole of (used in referring to quantity, extent, or duration). See examples of all used in a sentence. When you talk about all of one thing, you mean the whole thing. When Shakespeare writes, in As You Like It, “ All the world's a stage,” he means the whole world. The meaning of ALL is the whole amount, quantity, or extent of. How to use all in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of All. n. The whole of one's fortune, resources, or energy; everything one has: The brave defenders gave their all. the whole of (used in referring to quantity, extent, or duration): all the cake; all the way; all year. the whole number of (used in referring to individuals or particulars, taken collectively): all students. All means ‘every one’, ‘the complete number or amount’ or ‘the whole’. We use it most often as a determiner. We can use a countable noun or an uncountable noun after it: … When all refers to a whole class of people or things, we don’t use the: … Definition of ALL in the Definitions.net dictionary. Meaning of ALL. What does ALL mean? Information and translations of ALL in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. All definition: Being or representing the entire or total number, amount, or quantity.