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all right
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Tweet adj. 1. a. In proper or satisfactory condition: checked to see if the tires were all right. b. Acceptable; allowable: Delaying the repair is all right by me. c. all-right (ôlrīt) Informal Satisfactory; good: an all-right fellow; an all-right movie. 2. Correct: Your answers are all right. 3. Average; mediocre: The performance was just all right, not remarkable. 4. Not in danger or difficulty; safe or uninjured: The passengers were shaken up but are all right. 5. In good physical or mental condition; healthy or untroubled: I am feeling all right again. adv. 1. In a satisfactory way; adequately: I held up all right under pressure. 2. Very well; yes. Used as a reply to a question or to introduce a declaration: All right, I'll go. 3. Without a doubt: It's cold, all right. interj. Used to express great satisfaction, approval, or happiness. Usage Note: Despite the frequent use of the form alright the single word spelling is still widely viewed as nonstandard. In our 2009 survey, more than two-thirds of the Usage Panel rejected alright in examples like Don't worry. Everything will be alright, whereas over 90 percent accepted all right in the same examples. This resistance may seem peculiar, since similar fusions incorporating all, such as already and altogether, have never raised any objections. The difference may lie in the fact that already and altogether became single words back in the Middle Ages, whereas alright has only been around for a little more than a century and was called out by language critics as a misspelling. Readers may view the use of alright, especially in formal writing, as an error or a willful breaking of convention. |
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