in all/everything but name

idiom

: not in an official way but in every other way
Military governors ruled the country in all but name for many years.
Their marriage was over in all but name five years ago.

Examples of in all/everything but name in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The ultimate fixes are not going to be easy to implement, but are relatively straightforward to identify, starting with leadership that is actually committed to improving things, which is why Swain’s earlier move to institute a receiver in all but name was positive. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 July 2025 Their clash with Inter in Seattle next Wednesday now looks like a potential classic: a knockout clash in all but name. Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 22 June 2025 Senior party members were considered too high in rank for common laojiao, but many suffered the same fate in everything but name. John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2013 Picard's unexpected departure inadvertently plunges Riker into the ultimate job interview, a Kobayashi Maru test in all but name. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for in all/everything but name

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“In all/everything but name.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20all%2Feverything%20but%20name. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!