All-Time Favorite or All Times Favorite: Which Is Correct?

All-Time Favorite or All Times Favorite: the correct phrase is all-time favorite when you describe a loved choice as the best over time in English. When you talk about a favorite thing, the correct phrase all-time favorite describes the best or most loved thing you love most, more than anything else. It can describe a favorite song, movie, book, or memory that remains a top choice over time. This phrase usage shows a strong preference, the strongest preference, or the highest degree of liking, making it a useful superlative in an English phrase. The term all-time is a compound adjective that modifies a noun, while all and time work together as one unit, so the hyphen matters. For example, an all-time favorite can be a single outstanding choice that has been loved or preferred for many years and continues to hold a special place for people. In English writing, this grammar question connects to word function, grammar accuracy, writing style, and everyday communication.

All Times Favorite is generally incorrect under standard English grammar rules and standard edited English because all times doesn’t normally work as a descriptive adjective. Writers may mistakenly write it when thinking about multiple periods or occasions, but the proper choice is all-time when describing a noun, such as all-time high. By contrast, all time appears in fixed expressions such as of all time, where it doesn’t modify a noun.Understanding this difference helps writers avoid common mistakes and spelling mistakes in an article, blog post, social media caption, review, or personal message. The expression is commonly used and widely accepted in American English, conversations, and professional content. Learning how to use the correct form, understanding the meaning, and choosing the right expression can make your writing more natural, help you communicate ideas, and give you greater confidence. 

Quick Answer

All-time favorite is the correct and natural expression when you mean your favorite thing ever or the best thing across all periods of time.

• ✅ My all-time favorite movie is The Godfather.
• ✅ This is one of my all-time favorite songs.
• ❌ This is my all times favorite movie.

The phrase all times favorite is generally incorrect in this context. If you want to use a longer version, write favorite of all time instead.

Simple rule: Use all-time favorite before a noun or as part of a phrase describing something you love more than anything else over time.

Comparison Overview

Understanding all-time favorite vs. all times favorite becomes much easier when you compare the two expressions directly.

Expression	Correct?	Meaning	Best Use
All-time favorite	✅ Yes	Favorite of all time	Standard English
All-time favourite	✅ Yes	Same meaning	British English spelling
Favorite of all time	✅ Yes	The thing you like most ever	Full phrase
All times favorite	❌ Usually no	Grammatically unnatural in this meaning	Avoid
My favorite of all time	✅ Yes	Personal top choice ever	Informal or conversational writing
An all-time great	✅ Yes	One of the greatest ever	Sports, history, entertainment

The main difference comes down to grammar and idiomatic usage. English uses all-time as a recognized compound modifier in expressions such as all-time favorite, all-time record, all-time high, and all-time great.

Main Differences Between All-Time Favorite or All Times Favorite: Which is Correct?

The biggest difference is simple: all-time favorite follows standard English usage, while all times favorite does not normally work as a natural expression.

All-Time Favorite Is a Standard Compound Expression

In all-time favorite, the words all-time work together to modify favorite. The phrase means something that ranks at the top of your personal preferences across your entire experience or across history.

For example:

• Pizza is my all-time favorite food.
• That remains my all-time favorite book.
• She is one of my all-time favorite singers.
• This may be my all-time favorite vacation.

In each example, you are not talking about multiple separate moments called “times.” You mean across all time.

All Times Favorite Sounds Grammatically Unnatural

All times favorite does not function naturally as an English compound modifier. The plural noun times changes the structure and makes the phrase sound incomplete or incorrect.

For example:

• ❌ This is my all times favorite song.
• ✅ This is my all-time favorite song.
• ✅ This is my favorite song of all time.

The corrected versions clearly communicate the intended meaning.

The Hyphen Matters in All-Time Favorite

When all-time appears before a noun as a compound modifier, the hyphen helps connect the words.

• an all-time favorite movie
• my all-time favorite restaurant
• an all-time favorite song

The hyphen shows that all and time work together as one descriptive idea.

What Does All-Time Favorite Mean?

An all-time favorite is something you consider your favorite among everything you have experienced over a long period—or even throughout your entire life.

The phrase can describe:

• Movies
• Songs
• Books
• Foods
• Sports players
• TV shows
• Games
• Places
• Quotes
• Activities
• Memories

For example, if someone asks, “What’s your all-time favorite movie?”, they are asking which movie ranks above every other movie you have watched.

You could answer:

My all-time favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption because I never get tired of watching it.

The phrase adds strength and permanence. Saying, “I like this movie,” is much weaker than saying, “This is my all-time favorite movie.”

Why Is All-Time Favorite Hyphenated?

The expression all-time is commonly written with a hyphen when it acts as a compound adjective before a noun.

Consider these examples:

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

The hyphen improves readability by showing that the words belong together.

Think of It as One Descriptive Unit

In this sentence:

That is my all-time favorite dessert.

The phrase all-time describes favorite as a single unit.

Without the hyphen, readers may briefly need to determine how the words connect. Standard compound-modifier style uses the hyphen to make the relationship clear.

Similar Hyphenated Expressions

Here are other compound expressions that follow a similar pattern:

Correct Expression	Example
well-known author	She is a well-known author.
full-time job	He has a full-time job.
long-term plan	They created a long-term plan.
high-quality product	It is a high-quality product.
all-time favorite	This is my all-time favorite.

These compounds combine words to create one descriptive meaning.

Can You Say Favorite of All Time Instead?

Yes. Favorite of all time is completely correct and is one of the best alternatives to all-time favorite.

For example:

• What is your favorite movie of all time?
• This is my favorite book of all time.
• Who is your favorite athlete of all time?
• That was my favorite concert of all time.

This version does not need a hyphen because of all time is a prepositional phrase rather than a compound adjective placed before a noun.

Compare:

• My all-time favorite movie is Spirited Away.
• Spirited Away is my favorite movie of all time.

Both sentences communicate nearly the same idea.

Which Version Should You Choose?

Use all-time favorite when you want a shorter, punchier expression.

Use favorite of all time when you want a more conversational or fully expanded phrase.

Both are natural choices.

All-Time Favorite vs. Favorite of All Time

Although both phrases mean almost the same thing, their sentence structures differ.

All-Time Favorite

This phrase is compact and works especially well before or after a possessive word.

• my all-time favorite
• her all-time favorite book
• our all-time favorite restaurant

Example:

Chocolate cake is my all-time favorite dessert.

Favorite of All Time

This version places the object before the phrase of all time.

Example:

Chocolate cake is my favorite dessert of all time.

Here is a quick comparison:

Phrase	Style	Example
All-time favorite	Short and direct	This is my all-time favorite song.
Favorite of all time	Expanded and conversational	This is my favorite song of all time.

Neither is more “correct” than the other. The key point is that all times favorite should not replace them.

When Should You Use All-Time Favorite?

You can use all-time favorite when something holds a special position in your personal ranking.

Use It for Personal Preferences

Examples include:

• Coffee is my all-time favorite drink.
• Summer is my all-time favorite season.
• Blue is her all-time favorite color.
• That novel is one of his all-time favorites.

Notice the plural form in the final example. If you have several things you rank among your very best choices, all-time favorites is correct.

Use It for Entertainment

The phrase is extremely common when discussing entertainment.

• What is your all-time favorite movie?
• This is one of my all-time favorite TV shows.
• She performed one of my all-time favorite songs.
• That game remains an all-time favorite among fans.

Use It for Historical Rankings

You can also use all-time for records, achievements, and rankings.

Examples:

• He is considered one of the all-time great players.
• The team set an all-time record.
• The company reached an all-time high.

Here, all-time means in the entire recorded history of that category.

How to Use All-Time Favorite in a Sentence

The phrase is flexible and easy to use once you understand its structure.

As the Main Description

My all-time favorite is chocolate ice cream.

This works when the context already makes the category clear.

For example:

Question: What’s your favorite dessert?
Answer: My all-time favorite is cheesecake.

Before a Noun

That is my all-time favorite book.

This is one of the most common structures.

More examples:

• She wore her all-time favorite dress.
• We visited our all-time favorite beach.
• He played his all-time favorite game.

With One of My

Another common pattern is:

one of my all-time favorite + plural noun

Examples:

• That is one of my all-time favorite movies.
• These are some of my all-time favorite songs.
• She is one of my all-time favorite authors.

A common mistake is writing:

• ❌ one of my all-time favorite movie

After one of my, you normally need a plural noun.

Correct:

• ✅ one of my all-time favorite movies

Is All-Time an Adjective?

Yes. In expressions like all-time favorite, all-time functions as a compound adjective or compound modifier.

It adds the meaning:

• throughout history
• ever
• across all periods
• in someone’s entire experience

For example:

an all-time great athlete

This means an athlete considered one of the greatest ever.

Likewise:

my all-time favorite movie

means your favorite movie ever.

The phrase gives the noun a sense of maximum ranking over time.

Common Mistakes With All-Time Favorite

Even simple phrases can cause confusion. Here are the most common mistakes.

Writing All Times Favorite

This is the primary error.

• ❌ My all times favorite food is pizza.
• ✅ My all-time favorite food is pizza.

Remember: you are referring to all time, not several individual times.

Leaving Out the Hyphen Before a Noun

In formal or carefully edited writing, prefer:

• ❌ an all time favorite movie
• ✅ an all-time favorite movie

The hyphen connects all and time into a compound modifier.

Using Singular After One of My

Avoid:

• ❌ One of my all-time favorite book
• ❌ One of my all-time favorite song

Use:

• ✅ One of my all-time favorite books
• ✅ One of my all-time favorite songs

Confusing Favorite and Favourite

Both spellings are correct, depending on the English variety you use.

American English	British English
favorite	favourite
all-time favorite	all-time favourite

For a US audience, use favorite. For British English, Australian English, and many other varieties, favourite is standard.

The important thing is to stay consistent throughout your writing

All-Time Favorite or All Times Favorite in American and British English

The grammar rule remains the same in both major varieties of English.

American English

Use:

all-time favorite

Examples:

• That’s my all-time favorite song.
• Pizza is my all-time favorite food.

British English

Use:

all-time favourite

Examples:

• That’s my all-time favourite film.
• Tea is her all-time favourite drink.

The difference is primarily the spelling of favorite/favourite, not the structure of all-time.

So, all times favourite is no more natural in British English than all times favorite is in American English.

All-Time Favorite Examples for Everyday Conversations

The easiest way to remember the correct expression is to see it in natural situations.

Talking About Movies

• What’s your all-time favorite movie?
• My all-time favorite movie is a classic.
• That’s one of my all-time favorite films.

Talking About Food

• What’s your all-time favorite meal?
• My all-time favorite food is homemade pizza.
• This is now one of my all-time favorite desserts.

Talking About Music

• That is my all-time favorite song.
• Who is your all-time favorite singer?
• Those are two of my all-time favorite albums.

Talking About Books

• What is your all-time favorite book?
• That novel has been my all-time favorite for years.
• She’s one of my all-time favorite writers.

Talking About Sports

• Who is your all-time favorite player?
• He remains one of the all-time greats.
• That was one of my all-time favorite matches.

These examples show why the expression appears naturally in everyday English.

All-Time Favorite Examples in Professional Writing

Although the phrase often sounds personal, you can also use it in blogs, reviews, interviews, and marketing content.

For example:

The brand’s classic design remains an all-time favorite among longtime customers.

Or:

In our survey, the product emerged as an all-time favorite because of its simplicity and reliability.

However, remember that all-time favorite can sound subjective. In professional writing, it is best when discussing:

• Customer preferences
• Poll results
• Personal recommendations
• Reviews
• Editorial opinions
• Cultural popularity

If you are making a factual claim about records, provide evidence instead of simply calling something an all-time favorite.

For example, rather than writing:

This is the world’s all-time favorite product.

Write something more specific if you have supporting data:

This product ranked first in the company’s customer satisfaction survey.

Clear evidence makes writing stronger and more trustworthy.

Did You Know? All-Time Can Describe More Than Favorites

The phrase all-time is much broader than all-time favorite.

You can use it in several common expressions.

All-Time High

An all-time high means the highest level ever recorded.

Example:

The company reported an all-time high in annual sales.

All-Time Low

An all-time low means the lowest level ever recorded.

Example:

Attendance fell to an all-time low.

All-Time Record

An all-time record is a record that stands above previous records in the relevant category.

Example:

The athlete broke the league’s all-time scoring record.

All-Time Great

An all-time great is someone or something considered among the greatest ever.

Example:

Many fans consider her an all-time great performer.

This pattern helps explain all-time favorite. In every case, all-time adds the idea of comparison across the broadest possible period.

All-Time Favorite vs. Favorite Ever

Favorite ever is sometimes used in casual speech, but it has a different tone.

For example:

This is my favorite dessert ever!

This sounds highly conversational and enthusiastic. It is common in speech, social media, and informal writing.

Compare the three:

• This is my all-time favorite dessert.
• This is my favorite dessert of all time.
• This is my favorite dessert ever!

All three can communicate strong preference, but the tone changes slightly.

Expression	Tone
All-time favorite	Natural and standard
Favorite of all time	Clear and conversational
Favorite ever	Informal and enthusiastic

For polished writing, all-time favorite is usually the safest choice.

A Simple Grammar Case Study: Correcting the Phrase

Imagine a blogger writes:

Paris is my all times favorite city.

The intended meaning is clear, but the phrase needs correction.

Step One: Identify the Intended Meaning

The writer means:

Paris is my favorite city across all time or throughout my life.

Step Two: Choose the Standard Expression

The natural compound modifier is:

all-time

Step Three: Write the Correct Sentence

Paris is my all-time favorite city.

Another correct option is:

Paris is my favorite city of all time.

This small change makes the sentence sound natural and grammatically polished.

How to Remember the Correct Form

Here is an easy memory trick:

Think: Of All Time

If you can expand the meaning to of all time, then all-time is usually the expression you want before a noun.

For example:

My favorite movie of all time
↓
My all-time favorite movie

The two expressions carry nearly the same meaning.

Remember the Hyphen

When all-time directly modifies a noun, connect it with a hyphen:

all-time + favorite

Think of the phrase as a two-word adjective working together.

Avoid Adding an S to Time

Don’t write:

❌ all times favorite

Ask yourself: Am I describing separate times, or am I saying “of all time”?

If the answer is of all time, use:

✅ all-time favorite

Popular Alternatives to All-Time Favorite

Sometimes you may want to avoid repeating the same phrase. Here are useful alternatives.

My Favorite of All Time

This is my favorite of all time.

Best when the category is already understood.

My Absolute Favorite

This is my absolute favorite.

This emphasizes strong personal preference.

My Ultimate Favorite

That’s my ultimate favorite.

This is more dramatic and works well in casual writing.

My Number One Choice

It’s my number one choice.

This focuses on ranking.

The Best Ever

That was the best concert ever.

This sounds enthusiastic and informal.

One of My Favorites

It’s one of my favorites.

Use this when several things rank highly for you.

Choosing the Best Alternative Based on Context

Context	Best Phrase
Formal writing	all-time favorite
Casual conversation	favorite of all time
Excited reaction	favorite ever
Strong personal preference	absolute favorite
Ranking choices	number one choice
Several top choices	one of my all-time favorites

Choosing the right phrase depends on your tone, but all-time favorite remains one of the most versatile options.

When All Times May Actually Be Correct

Although all times favorite is incorrect for the usual meaning of favorite of all time, the words all and times can appear together in other grammatical contexts.

For example:

At all times, keep your identification with you.

Here, at all times means always or on every occasion.

Another example:

The doors must remain locked at all times.

This is completely correct because times genuinely refers to occasions or periods.

However, you would not combine that expression with favorite to create all times favorite.

Compare:

• ✅ At all times, follow the rules.
• ❌ My all times favorite movie
• ✅ My all-time favorite movie

The same words can appear in different structures, so context matters.

Why All-Time Favorite Is So Common in English

The expression is popular because it communicates a large idea in just a few words.

Instead of saying:

This is the thing I have liked more than every other similar thing throughout all the years of my life.

You can simply say:

This is my all-time favorite.

That is one reason English speakers love compact compound expressions. They are efficient, expressive, and easy to understand.

The phrase also carries emotion. Calling something an all-time favorite often suggests:

• Long-term affection
• Nostalgia
• Strong preference
• Personal importance
• Repeated enjoyment

For example, saying a movie is your all-time favorite often suggests you have enjoyed it repeatedly rather than simply liking it once.

Writing Tips for Using All-Time Favorite Naturally

If you are writing a blog, article, review, or product page about preferences, use the phrase naturally rather than repeating it excessively.

Good variations include:

• all-time favorite
• all-time favourites
• favorite of all time
• my favorite ever
• one of my all-time favorites
• absolute favorite
• top favorite
• most-loved choice

For example, instead of repeating:

This is my all-time favorite product. My all-time favorite product is affordable. My all-time favorite product is easy to use.

Write:

This is one of my all-time favorites because it combines affordability with easy everyday use. It has remained my top choice for years.

The second version sounds more natural and less repetitive.

FAQs

1. Is it All-Time Favorite or All Times Favorite?

All-time favorite is the correct phrase. The hyphen connects all and time to form a compound adjective describing a noun.

2. What does all-time favorite mean?

All-time favorite means something you like or enjoy more than anything else. It can describe a song, movie, book, food, place, or memory.

3. Is all times favorite grammatically correct?

No. All times favorite is generally incorrect when you want to describe one favorite thing. Use all-time favorite instead.

4. When should I use all time without a hyphen?

Use all time when the words aren’t functioning together as an adjective before a noun. For example, “the best movie of all time” is correct.

5. Why does all-time need a hyphen?

The hyphen shows that all-time works as one compound adjective before a noun. In “my all-time favorite song,” it describes the noun song.

Conclusion

All-time favorite is the standard and natural expression for describing something you consider your greatest favorite. All times favorite should generally be avoided because it doesn’t follow standard English usage. Remember that all-time works as a compound adjective before a noun, while all time appears in expressions such as of all time. Understanding this small difference can improve your grammar, writing, and everyday communication.