almost

Meanings

1. 1
   adv

   Very close to, but not quite.

   Almost all people went there.

2. 2
   adv

   Up to, except for a negligible set (where negligible is not universally but contextually defined).

   almost all

3. 3
   noun

   Something or someone that doesn't quite make it.

   In all the submissions, they found four papers that were clearly worth publishing and another dozen almosts.

4. 4
   adv

   (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Indo-European *h₂elnós Proto-Germanic *allaz Proto-Germanic *ala- Proto-West Germanic *ala- Old English æl- Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der. Proto-Germanic *maiz Proto-Germanic *maistaz Proto-Germanic *maist Proto-West Germanic *maist Old English mǣst Old English eallmǣst Middle English almost English almost From Middle English almost, from Old English eallmǣst (“nearly all, almost, for the most part”), equivalent to al- (“all”) + most.