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All vs. Hall — What's the Difference?

Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Urooj Arif — Updated on May 3, 2024
All encompasses everything without exclusion; Hall refers to a large room or corridor used for events or as a passage.
All vs. Hall — What's the Difference?

Difference Between All and Hall

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Key Differences

All is an inclusive term used to indicate every part or member of a group, without exceptions. Whereas, hall primarily denotes a physical space, often large and used for gatherings or passage within buildings.
All implies completeness or entirety in various contexts, such as in statements like "all the cookies are gone." On the other hand, hall is used to describe specific architectural features, such as a hallway in a house or a grand hall used for concerts or banquets.
In grammar, all can function as an adjective, pronoun, or adverb, modifying or replacing nouns or quantifying completeness. Conversely, hall is a noun and refers specifically to types of rooms or buildings.
All is often used in idiomatic expressions to emphasize totality, such as "all in all" or "all out." Whereas, hall might appear in context-specific terms like "hall of fame" or "dining hall," pointing to its various functional or ceremonial uses.
The usage of all can vary slightly depending on the context but generally maintains its role in indicating entirety or fullness. Whereas, the use of hall can vary greatly depending on the architectural style, purpose of the building, or cultural context, such as in "town hall" or "entry hall."
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Comparison Chart

Part of Speech

Can be adjective, pronoun, or adverb
Noun

Meaning

Refers to the whole quantity or extent of something
A room or passage in a building

Usage in sentences

"All students must attend."
"The meeting is in the main hall."

Associated terms

All-encompassing, all-out, all-inclusive
Hallway, hall of residence, great hall

Contexts

General use in various contexts
Mostly architectural or event-related contexts

Compare with Definitions

All

Every one of a group.
All children love toys.

Hall

An organizational or collegiate building, especially at a university.
She lives in the new hall of residence.

All

Each.
All roads lead to Rome.

Hall

A large room for meetings, dining, or other events.
The grand hall was beautifully decorated for the wedding.

All

Completely, entirely.
He is all smiles today.

Hall

The room or corridor through which the main entrance leads to other rooms.
He left his coat in the hall.

All

In every respect.
They are all too willing to help.

Hall

A manor house.
They own an old family hall in the countryside.

All

The whole extent or range of.
She spent all day reading.

Hall

A building or large room used for events, exhibitions, or sports.
The exhibition hall is open to visitors.

All

Being or representing the entire or total number, amount, or quantity
All the windows are open. Deal all the cards.

Hall

In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept.

All

Constituting, being, or representing the total extent or the whole
All Christendom.

Hall

A corridor or passageway in a building.

All

Being the utmost possible of
Argued the case in all seriousness.

Hall

A large entrance room or vestibule in a building; a lobby.

All

Every
Got into all manner of trouble.

Hall

A building for public gatherings or entertainments.

All

Any whatsoever
Beyond all doubt.

Hall

The large room in which such events are held.

All

(Pennsylvania) Consumed; used up; gone
The apples are all.

Hall

A building used for the gatherings and social activities of a church, fraternal order, or other organization.

All

(Informal) Being more than one
Who all came to the party? See Note at y'all.

Hall

A building belonging to a school, college, or university that provides classroom, dormitory, or dining facilities.

All

The whole of one's fortune, resources, or energy; everything one has
The brave defenders gave their all.

Hall

A large room in such a building.

All

Wholly; completely
A room painted all white.

Hall

The group of students using such a building
The entire hall stayed up late studying.

All

So much
I am all the better for that experience.

Hall

Chiefly British A meal served in such a building.

All

Used as an intensive
Then he got all mad and left.

Hall

The main house on a landed estate.

All

Each; apiece
A score of five all.

Hall

The castle or house of a medieval monarch or noble.

All

Every individual or anything of the given class, with no exceptions (the noun or noun phrase denoting the class must be plural or uncountable).
All contestants must register at the scorer’s table.
All flesh is originally grass.
All my friends like classical music.

Hall

The principal room in such a castle or house, used for dining, entertaining, and sleeping.

All

Throughout the whole of (a stated period of time; generally used with units of a day or longer).

Hall

A corridor; a hallway.
The drinking fountain was out in the hall.

All

Only; alone; nothing but.
He's all talk; he never puts his ideas into practice.

Hall

A meeting room.
The hotel had three halls for conferences, and two were in use by the convention.

All

(obsolete) Any.

Hall

A manor house (originally because a magistrate's court was held in the hall of his mansion).
The duke lived in a great hall overlooking the sea.

All

Everything.
Some gave all they had.
She knows all and sees all.
Those who think they know it all are annoying to those of us who do.

Hall

A building providing student accommodation at a university.
The student government hosted several social events so that students from different halls would intermingle.

All

Everyone.
A good time was had by all.
We all enjoyed the movie.

Hall

The principal room of a secular medieval building.

All

The only thing(s).
All that was left was a small pile of ash.

Hall

(obsolete) Cleared passageway through a crowd, as for dancing.

All

Used after what, where, how and similar words, either without changing their meaning, or indicating that one expects that they cover more than one element, e.g. that "who all attended" is more than one person.}} Some dialects only allow this to follow some words and not others.

Hall

A place for special professional education, or for conferring professional degrees or licences.
A Divinity Hall; Apothecaries' Hall

All

Wholly; entirely; completely; totally.
She was sitting all alone. It suddenly went all quiet.

Hall

(India) A living room.

All

Apiece; each.
The score was 30 all when the rain delay started.

Hall

(Oxbridge) A college's canteen, which is often but not always coterminous with a traditional hall.

All

(degree) So much.
Don't want to go? All the better since I lost the tickets.

Hall

(Oxbridge slang) A meal served and eaten at a college's hall.

All

Even; just.

Hall

A building or room of considerable size and stateliness, used for public purposes; as, Westminster Hall, in London.

All

A quotative particle, compare like.
She was all, “Whatever.”

Hall

The chief room in a castle or manor house, and in early times the only public room, serving as the place of gathering for the lord's family with the retainers and servants, also for cooking and eating. It was often contrasted with the bower, which was the private or sleeping apartment.
Full sooty was her bower and eke her hall.

All

(with a possessive pronoun) Everything that one is capable of.
She gave her all, and collapsed at the finish line.

Hall

A vestibule, entrance room, etc., in the more elaborated buildings of later times.

All

(countable) The totality of one's possessions.

Hall

A name given to many manor houses because the magistrate's court was held in the hall of his mansion; a chief mansion house.

All

(obsolete) Although.

Hall

A college in an English university (at Oxford, an unendowed college).

All

All gone; dead.
The butter is all.

Hall

The apartment in which English university students dine in common; hence, the dinner itself; as, hall is at six o'clock.

All

The whole quantity, extent, duration, amount, quality, or degree of; the whole; the whole number of; any whatever; every; as, all the wheat; all the land; all the year; all the strength; all happiness; all abundance; loss of all power; beyond all doubt; you will see us all (or all of us).
Prove all things: hold fast that which is good.

Hall

Cleared passageway in a crowd; - formerly an exclamation.

All

Any.

Hall

An interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open;
The elevators were at the end of the hall

All

Only; alone; nothing but.
I was born to speak all mirth and no matter.

Hall

A large entrance or reception room or area

All

Wholly; completely; altogether; entirely; quite; very; as, all bedewed; my friend is all for amusement.

Hall

A large room for gatherings or entertainment;
Lecture hall
Pool hall

All

Even; just. (Often a mere intensive adjunct.
All as his straying flock he fed.
A damsel lay deploringAll on a rock reclined.

Hall

A college or university building containing living quarters for students

All

The whole number, quantity, or amount; the entire thing; everything included or concerned; the aggregate; the whole; totality; everything or every person; as, our all is at stake.
Death, as the Psalmist saith, is certain to all.
All that thou seest is mine.
Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee,Forever.
Trust me not at all, or all in all.

Hall

The large room of a manor or castle

All

Although; albeit.
All they were wondrous loth.

Hall

English writer whose novel about a lesbian relationship was banned in Britain for many years (1883-1943)

All

Quantifier; used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class;
We sat up all night
Ate all the food
All men are mortal
All parties are welcome
Have some milk
Some roses were still blooming
Having some friends over
Some apples
Some paper

Hall

United States child psychologist whose theories of child psychology strongly influenced educational psychology (1844-1924)

All

Completely given to or absorbed by;
Became all attention

Hall

United States chemist who developed an economical method of producing aluminum from bauxite (1863-1914)

All

To a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (`whole' is often used informally for `wholly');
He was wholly convinced
Entirely satisfied with the meal
It was completely different from what we expected
Was completely at fault
A totally new situation
The directions were all wrong
It was not altogether her fault
An altogether new approach
A whole new idea

Hall

United States explorer who led three expeditions to the Arctic (1821-1871)

Hall

United States astronomer who discovered Phobos and Deimos (the two satellites of Mars) (1829-1907)

Hall

A large and imposing house

Hall

A large building used by a college or university for teaching or research;
Halls of learning

Hall

A large building for meetings or entertainment

Common Curiosities

Are there any expressions commonly using "hall"?

Yes, expressions like "hall of fame" and "city hall" are common.

What is the historical significance of "hall"?

Historically, "halls" were central features in large estates or public buildings used for gatherings and administrative purposes.

What does "all" commonly modify in a sentence?

All can modify nouns, encompassing every individual element referred to.

Can "all" be used as an adverb?

Yes, "all" can function as an adverb, as in "all alone."

How do "all" and "hall" differ in terms of function?

"All" serves a grammatical function to indicate entirety, whereas "hall" is a noun that refers to specific types of spaces.

How does the inclusivity of "all" affect its use in communication?

"All" emphasizes totality and is used to ensure there is no exclusion in the group being referred to.

What are some examples where "all" is used in idiomatic expressions?

Examples include "all in all" and "all out," indicating completeness or intensity.

What is a typical use of "hall" in architecture?

A "hall" is commonly used to refer to a large room for events or as a passage area in buildings.

Can "hall" refer to anything other than a physical space?

Typically, "hall" refers to physical spaces, though it can extend to metaphorical uses, like in "hall of fame."

Is "hall" ever used in a plural form?

Yes, "halls" can be used in a plural form.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Urooj Arif
Urooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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