Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Satisfactory, acceptable, or adequate: Used to describe something that meets a basic standard or is acceptable in quality or condition.
   • Safe, unharmed, or in good health: Used to describe a person's or thing's state, indicating no problems or injuries.

2. Adverb:

   • In a satisfactory or adequate manner: Indicates that an action was performed to an acceptable standard.
   • Without doubt, certainly: Used to emphasize or confirm a preceding statement.
   • As an expression of agreement or assent: Used to indicate "yes," consent, or that something is acceptable.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The food was all right, but nothing special. (The quality of the food was acceptable.)
  • Are you feeling all right? You look pale. (Are you feeling well/unharmed?)
  • The car seems all right after the minor accident. (The car's condition is satisfactory.)

• Adverb:

  • She managed the project all right on her own. (She managed it in an adequate/satisfactory way.)
  • It's cold outside, all right. (This confirms and emphasizes that it is indeed cold.)
  • "Can I borrow your pen?" "All right." (This expresses agreement or permission.)

Advanced Usage

• "It'll be all right": A common phrase used to offer reassurance that a situation will turn out acceptably or well.

  • Don't worry about the test; it'll be all right.

• As a discourse marker: Used to signal a transition, acceptance of a situation, or to check for understanding/agreement.

  • All right, let's move on to the next topic.
  • We're meeting at six, all right?

Variants and Related Words

• Alright: A common, but often considered nonstandard, spelling variant of "all right." Its acceptability varies in formal writing.
• Okay / OK: Very close synonyms in most contexts for the adjective and adverb forms meaning "satisfactory" or "as an expression of agreement."

Synonyms

• Adjective: Satisfactory, acceptable, fine, okay, adequate, safe, unhurt.
• Adverb: Satisfactorily, adequately, well enough, certainly, indeed, yes.

Related Phrases

• All right by/with someone: Acceptable or agreeable to someone.

  • If it's all right with you, I'll leave early.

• All right already!: An exclamation expressing impatience or a desire for someone to stop.

  • All right already! I heard you the first time.

Idioms

• It's all right for some: A comment, often ironic, that something is good or easy for a particular person or group but not for others.

  • They get a month's vacation? It's all right for some!

• Turn out all right: To end satisfactorily or successfully despite difficulties.

  • I was worried, but everything turned out all right in the end.

Adjective

1. being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
   • an all-right movie
   • the passengers were shaken up but are all right
   • is everything all right?
   • everything's fine
   • things are okay
   • dinner and the movies had been fine
   • another minute I'd have been fine

Adverb

1. in a satisfactory or adequate manner; (`alright' is a nonstandard variant of `all right')
   • she'll do okay on her own
   • held up all right under pressure
2. without doubt (used to reinforce an assertion)
   • it's expensive all right
3. an expression of agreement normally occurring at the beginning of a sentence