phraseC2
for all we know
/fɚ ˌɔl wi ˈnoʊ/When you are guessing because you lack facts, you say this to show that something may be true.
It admits that you do not know what is true, while raising a possibility that cannot be ruled out. It often introduces a surprising or far-reaching possibility, and can also come after the statement it qualifies.
EXAMPLES
- There could be life beneath the planet’s surface, for all we know.
- We have no idea what that signal means; for all we know, it could be coming from a living organism.
- The microbes may survive in the rocks below us, for all we know.
SYNONYMS
possiblyperhapsfor all anyone knowswho knows?
ANTONYMS
we know for certainthere is no doubt that
GRAMMAR
Fixed phrase · often used before or after a clause to mark an uncertain possibility.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS
for all we know, there could befor all we know, it may be
