by/from all accounts

by all accounts

According to the information or reports that are available or from what people are saying. I don't know how we survived that plane crash; by all accounts, we should be dead right now! By all accounts, this film is the best one of the year!

See also: account, all

by all accounts

Also, according to all accounts. From all reports available, from what everyone is saying. For example, By all accounts the party was a great success, or They spent a fortune on their cruise, according to all accounts. These phrases rely on account in the sense of "a particular report or description of some event." [Late 1700s]

See also: account, all

by/from ˈall accounts

used when the speaker does not have direct experience of the thing mentioned but is reporting the ideas, etc. of others: I’ve never seen any of her movies, but she’s a brilliant director, by all accounts. ♢ It was, from all accounts, a very interesting discussion.

See also: account, all