sämtlichen

Sämtlich is a German adjective meaning all or the entire, used to indicate completeness within a defined set. It denotes that every item in the group is included and is common in formal or written German, such as administrative, legal, or academic language. It regularly precedes a noun: sämtliche Unterlagen, sämtliche Anfragen, sämtliche Beteiligte.

Morphology and usage. As a regular attributive adjective, sämtlich inflects according to the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies. In plural noun phrases you most often see sämtliche in the nominative or accusative: sämtliche Unterlagen, sämtliche Fragen. The form with -en, namely sämtlichen, appears in cases such as dative plural: mit sämtlichen Mitteln, bei sämtlichen Beteiligten, and genitive plural forms: Folgen sämtlicher Maßnahmen. Other inflected forms include sämtliche als feminine/plural endings in various cases (e.g., die sämtlichen Ergebnisse; der sämtlichen Gründe). In many contexts sämtlich is used to convey a precise sense of exhaustiveness, sometimes with a formal tone.

Etymology and relation to other terms. Sämtlich derives from the old word sammt/ sammtlich, rooted in the sense of together or whole, with the adjectival suffix -lich to form an adjective meaning “entire” or “all.” It is closely related to synonyms such as alle, gesamt, or ganz, but carries a more formal register and a sense of total inclusiveness.

Examples. The phrase sämtliche Unterlagen signifies that all documents are included. Mit sämtlichen Mitteln means with every possible means. Die Folgen sämtlicher Maßnahmen refers to the consequences of all measures taken.

See also. Alle, gesamt, ganz, vollständig.