sämtliche

Sämtliche is a German adjective and determiner meaning “all,” “the complete set,” or “every,” used before plural nouns to indicate the totality of a group. It is common in formal and written language, including administrative, legal, and academic contexts, and can also function predicatively after verbs such as sein (to be): Es sind sämtliche Unterlagen vorhanden.

Etymology and form: The form derives from older Germanic roots related to “sammt/sam,” meaning “all,” with the standard German suffix -lich to form an adjective. The word exists in the plural determiner position as sämmliche, and its inflection aligns with normal German adjective declension: it modifies a following plural noun to express the entirety of that noun’s reference.

Usage and nuance: Sämtliche is used to stress completeness and exclusivity within a group. It typically precedes plural nouns, for example sämmliche Unterlagen (all documents) or sämtliche Teilnehmer (all participants). In predicative constructions, it conveys that every member of the set is included. The register is formal; in everyday language, alternatives such as alle or die gesamten Personen are more common, depending on nuance and tone. Sämtliche can also appear in legal or administrative phrasing to underscore that nothing is omitted.

Relation to similar terms: Alle is a broader, less formal equivalent meaning “all,” while gesamte or komplett emphasize the totality or completeness of a unit. Vollständig is closer to “complete” in the sense of content, whereas sämmlich focuses on including every item in a group.

See also: Alle, Gesamtheit, Vollständig, Complete, German grammar.