All-Time Hyphen Rule: When Should You Use the Hyphen?

The phrase all-time often causes confusion because it can appear with or without a hyphen depending on how it is used in a sentence. Writers frequently wonder whether they should write all-time, all time, or even alltime. Understanding the basic hyphen rule makes this distinction much easier.

In standard English, all-time is usually hyphenated when it works as a compound adjective before a noun. When the phrase functions as an ordinary expression referring to the whole period of time, all time is normally written without a hyphen. Knowing this difference will help you write more naturally and accurately.

Quick Answer

Use all-time with a hyphen when it comes directly before a noun as a compound adjective.

• She is an all-time great athlete.
• That was an all-time record.
• He is one of the all-time best players.

Use all time without a hyphen when it functions as a noun phrase or adverbial expression referring to the whole period of time.

• I have loved this song all time. ❌
• I have loved this song all the time. ✅
• He spent all his time studying. ✅

The most common fixed expression is all-time, especially in phrases such as all-time high, all-time low, all-time favorite, and all-time record.

What Does All-Time Mean?

All-time is a compound adjective meaning throughout the entire period of something’s existence or history.

It is commonly used when comparing a person, event, achievement, number, or performance with everything that has happened previously.

For example:

• She scored an all-time record.
• This is my all-time favorite movie.
• He is considered one of the all-time greats.
• The company reached an all-time high in sales.

In these examples, all-time describes a noun or noun-like expression.

The Basic All-Time Hyphen Rule

The simplest rule is:

Hyphenate all-time when it acts as a compound adjective before a noun or another word it modifies.

For example:

• an all-time record
• an all-time high
• an all-time low
• an all-time favorite
• an all-time classic
• an all-time great
• an all-time best performance

The hyphen joins all and time so the reader understands that the two words work together as a single modifier.

Why Is the Hyphen Important?

Compare these examples:

• This is an all-time record.
• He spent all his time working.

In the first sentence, all-time functions as one compound modifier describing record. In the second, all modifies his time, so no hyphen is needed.

All-Time vs All Time

The distinction becomes clearer when you compare their grammatical roles.

Form	Typical Use	Example
all-time	Compound adjective	She set an all-time record.
all time	Phrase referring to the whole period	He devoted all his time to the project.
all the time	Constantly or very often	She talks about it all the time.
alltime	Not standard	Avoid this spelling.

The key point is that all-time and all time are not interchangeable in every sentence.

Common Examples of All-Time

Some expressions with all-time are extremely common in English.

All-Time Favorite

All-time favorite means something you have liked more than anything else over your entire experience.

• This is my all-time favorite book.
• Pizza is one of my all-time favorite foods.
• That remains my all-time favorite movie.

All-Time High

All-time high refers to the highest level ever reached.

• The stock market reached an all-time high.
• The temperature reached an all-time high for the month.
• The company reported an all-time high in annual sales.

All-Time Low

All-time low means the lowest level ever recorded.

• The price fell to an all-time low.
• The team’s performance reached an all-time low.
• Public confidence dropped to an all-time low.

All-Time Record

All-time record means the highest, lowest, fastest, largest, or otherwise notable result ever recorded.

• She broke the all-time record.
• The team achieved an all-time record for wins.
• The event attracted an all-time record crowd.

All-Time Great

An all-time great is someone considered among the best people in a particular field throughout history.

• He is regarded as an all-time great in tennis.
• She is one of the all-time great singers.
• Many consider him an all-time great athlete.

When Should You Not Use the Hyphen?

Do not automatically hyphenate all time simply because the words appear together.

When all modifies a noun phrase containing time, the words are normally separate.

Examples:

• I spent all my time studying.
• She used all her time wisely.
• We had all the time we needed.
• He has all the time in the world.
• They talked for all that time.

Here, all is not forming a compound adjective with time, so a hyphen is unnecessary.

All the Time vs All-Time

These two expressions have completely different meanings.

All the time usually means constantly, repeatedly, or very often.

• She checks her phone all the time.
• He complains all the time.
• We see each other all the time.

All-time means throughout history or the entire period being considered.

• She is my all-time favorite singer.
• This is an all-time record.
• He is one of the all-time great players.

A common mistake is to confuse these expressions because they look similar.

Is Alltime Correct?

No. Alltime as one word is generally not the standard spelling in modern English.

Use:

• all-time when it is a compound adjective
• all time when the words function separately
• all the time when you mean constantly or frequently

For example:

• This is my all-time favorite song. ✅
• I spent all time thinking about it. ❌
• I spent all my time thinking about it. ✅
• He calls me all the time. ✅
• This is my alltime favorite song. ❌

All-Time Before a Noun

One of the easiest ways to identify the hyphenated form is to look at what follows it.

When all-time comes before a noun and works as a single description, use the hyphen.

Examples:

• an all-time record
• an all-time high
• an all-time low
• an all-time favorite
• an all-time classic

The compound modifier tells the reader that all and time belong together.

All-Time After a Noun

You may also encounter all-time after a linking verb, particularly in expressions such as my favorite of all time.

Notice the difference:

• This is my all-time favorite movie.
• This is my favorite movie of all time.

The first example uses all-time as part of the compound adjective all-time favorite. The second uses the phrase of all time, which is written without a hyphen.

This is an important distinction.

All-Time vs Of All Time

Both forms are correct, but their grammatical structures differ.

All-Time

Use all-time as part of a compound modifier.

• He is an all-time great player.
• This is an all-time favorite.
• The company reached an all-time high.

Of All Time

Use of all time when the phrase follows the noun or noun phrase.

• He is one of the greatest players of all time.
• This is one of my favorite movies of all time.
• It was the biggest event of all time.

Do not write of all-time in these constructions.

Common Mistakes

1. Writing Alltime

Incorrect:

• She is an alltime great.

Correct:

• She is an all-time great.

2. Hyphenating Every Use of All Time

Incorrect:

• I spent all-time studying.

Correct:

• I spent all my time studying.

3. Writing Of All-Time

Incorrect:

• He is one of the best players of all-time.

Correct:

• He is one of the best players of all time.

4. Confusing All-Time With All the Time

Incorrect:

• He checks his phone all-time.

Correct:

• He checks his phone all the time.

All-Time in American and British English

The hyphenation rule is essentially the same in American and British English. Both varieties commonly use all-time as a compound adjective.

Examples:

• an all-time favorite
• an all-time high
• an all-time record
• an all-time great

Both American and British English also use of all time without a hyphen.

Differences in hyphenation can sometimes occur because individual style guides or publishers have different preferences, but all-time remains the standard and widely accepted form when it functions as a compound adjective.

A Simple Trick to Remember the Rule

Ask yourself:

Are all and time working together to describe something?

If yes, use the hyphen.

• all-time favorite
• all-time record
• all-time high

If they are simply separate words in a phrase, do not use the hyphen.

• all my time
• all the time
• all of the time
• of all time

This simple test will solve most all-time hyphen questions.

FAQs

Is all-time always hyphenated?

No. All-time is hyphenated when it functions as a compound adjective, such as in all-time favorite or all-time record. Other expressions, such as all my time and of all time, do not use a hyphen.

Is all-time favorite hyphenated?

Yes. All-time favorite is normally hyphenated because all-time functions as a compound modifier before favorite.

Is it all time or all-time?

It depends on the grammatical function. Use all-time as a compound adjective and all time when the words function separately.

Is of all time hyphenated?

No. The standard form is of all time, without a hyphen.

Is alltime one word?

No. Alltime is not the standard spelling. Use all-time or all time, depending on the sentence.

Is all-time high correct?

Yes. All-time high is a standard expression meaning the highest level ever reached.

Is all-time low correct?

Yes. All-time low is also standard and means the lowest level ever reached or recorded.

Should I write all the time or all-time?

Use all the time when you mean constantly or frequently. Use all-time when it forms a compound modifier, such as all-time favorite.

Summary

The all-time hyphen rule is mainly about grammar. Use all-time when all and time work together as a compound adjective, especially before a noun or another word being modified. Common examples include all-time favorite, all-time high, all-time low, all-time record, and all-time great.

When the words are functioning separately, leave out the hyphen. Expressions such as all my time, all the time, and of all time are written without a hyphen. Also remember that alltime as one word is not standard English.

Actionable Takeaway

When you are unsure, ask whether all-time is acting as one descriptive unit. If it is, use the hyphen: an all-time record. If the words are functioning separately, write them without a hyphen: all my time or of all time.