all but
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Very nearly or almost entirely
Literally: all except
Register: neutral
Examples
I've finished all my homework all but the last question
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Everyday learner phrase (CEFR C1); level cross-referenced from published learner lists. Definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-08-01; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “all but” mean?
Very nearly or almost entirely Literally: all except
Is “all but” formal or informal?
all but is generally neutral.