nearly all
Nearly all the students passed the exam.
Almost every student passed the exam.
almost everyone or everything; the vast majority
Nearly all the guests arrived on time.
Almost all the guests arrived on time.
Nearly all the products are made in-house.
Almost all the products are manufactured in-house.
Used to indicate that only a very small portion is excluded from a group or category.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Usage Tip
Use 'nearly all' to emphasize that only a very small portion is excluded from a group or category.
Gold Rule
Precision Rule
Use 'nearly all' when you want to indicate that only a very small portion is excluded, not when you mean 'some' or 'many'.
Word Origin
Derived from the combination of 'nearly' (meaning almost) and 'all' (meaning the whole amount or quantity).
Usage Notes
This phrase is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to emphasize that only a very small portion is excluded from a group or category.