al-

A form of all- — Indicates complete power or authority in an area.

OriginMiddle English al- ← Old English æl- ← Proto-West Germanic *ala- →
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Meanings

al-1

prefix
  1. alternativeidiomaticAlternative form of all-.

al-2

prefix
  1. alternativeAlternative form of ad- (“to, toward”).

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
omni-pan-

Origin

al- · prefix

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-der.?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂elnós
  3. Proto-Germanic*allaz
  4. Proto-Germanic*ala-
  5. Proto-West Germanic*ala-
  6. Old Englishæl-
  7. Middle Englishal-
  8. Englishal-

From Middle English al-, from Old English eal-, eall- (“all-”). More at all.

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

al- · prefix

  1. Latinad-
  2. Englishal-

Assimilated form of ad- before l. From Latin ad-.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

al-. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/al-

MLA

“al-.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/al-. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “al-,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/al-.

Source: al- on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.