Altogether Versus All Together in a Nutshell:
The difference between altogether and all together is subtle but important: altogether (one word) means “completely” or “entirely,” while all together (two words) refers to things or people gathered in one place or doing something collectively. For example, “The plan was altogether successful” (completely), versus “We sang all together” (as a group).
Table of Contents
Introduction
The word altogether and the phrase all together can cause some confusion. Altogether means completely or totally while all together is a phrase that means in a group.
This article will explain the difference between altogether and all together in detail.
Altogether and all together
The expressions altogether and the phrase all together have distinct meanings although they may seem similar.
All together
The “all together meaning” is straightforward:
The phrase all together refers to members of a group performing or undergoing an action collectively. Notice that all together may be separated by other words.
For example, “We all sang together” or “We sang all together.” Both sentences have the same meaning, even though the word “all” is separated from “together” by different words (“we” and “sang”).
Synonyms: all, everyone, everybody, in a group…
Example sentences with all together:
- Example 1:
- The neighbors stood all together in the street.
- All the neighbors stood together in the street.
- Example 2:
- They sang all together.
- All the students sang together.
- Example 3:
- They were all together at the café.
- All his friends went to the cafè together.
All Together Synonym:
Synonyms for all together (when referring to people or things gathered in one place or acting simultaneously) include:
- As a group
- Collectively
- In unison
- Simultaneously
- In one place
- At once
Altogether
Now, let’s define altogether:
The word altogether is an adverb. It means completely or totally. For example, “She was altogether happy,” means she was completely happy or totally happy.
Synonyms: completely, totally, entirely, absolutely, wholly, fully, thoroughly, utterly…
Example sentences with altogether:
- He stopped seeing her altogether.
- It was not an altogether bad day.
- He had an altogether new idea.
- She decided to quit her job altogether.
- The restaurant was closed altogether for renovations.
- He found the movie altogether boring.
- They decided to cancel the project altogether.
Notice altogether may be used in the phrase in the altogether to mean a state of nudity or naked.
Altogether Synonym:
Synonyms for altogether (meaning “completely” or “entirely”) include:
- Completely
- Entirely
- Wholly
- Fully
- Totally
- Thoroughly
- Absolutely
- Utterly
Conclusion
In conclusion, “altogether” is an adverb meaning completely or entirely, while “all together” refers to things or people gathered in one place or doing something collectively.
All Together or Altogether Quiz
Here’s a quiz about the difference between “altogether and all together”. Choose the right answer:
- Which phrase refers to members of a group performing an action collectively?
- a) Altogether
- b) All together
- Which phrase means completely or totally?
- a) Altogether
- b) All together
- Choose the correct usage: “We sang _______ in harmony.”
- a) altogether
- b) all together
- Choose the correct usage: “The team decided to quit _______ after numerous failures.”
- a) altogether
- b) all together
- Choose the correct usage: “The children played _______ in the park.”
- a) altogether
- b) all together
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