otherdeterminer

sämtliche

all

Dieses Wort bedeutet, dass alles oder jeder in einer Gruppe gemeint ist.

Definition & meaning

Sämtliche means all, every single one, or the whole set of. It emphasizes that nothing or nobody in the relevant group is left out.

sämtliche Dokumente — all the documents
Sämtliche Gäste waren bereits da. — All the guests were already there.

It is especially common before plural nouns and can also stand on its own to mean “everyone” or “all of them.”

Grammar & Word origin

Sämtliche is an inflected form of the adjective sämtlich. It is most often used as a determiner before a noun. Its ending changes according to the noun’s gender, number, case, and the type of declension; sämtliche is common in plural forms and also occurs with feminine singular nouns.

The word is formed from samt (“together with”) and the adjective-forming suffix -lich. Its sense developed toward “all taken together” or “the entire set.”

Synonyms & antonyms

alle — the closest everyday equivalent. Sämtliche can sound more formal or more emphatic about including every member.
jeder einzelne — stresses each member individually, rather than the group as a whole.
gesamt — means “whole” or “total,” and often describes an entire quantity or entity rather than explicitly emphasizing every individual item.

There is no exact antonym, but these contrast with sämtliche: