all-or-nothing

adjective

all-or-noth·​ing

ˌȯl-ər-ˈnə-thiŋ

1

: all-or-none

2

a

: accepting no less than everything

he's an all-or-nothing perfectionist

b

: risking everything

an all-or-nothing combat strategy

Examples of all-or-nothing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Spearheading Forest’s all-or-nothing attack under Nuno Espirito Santo, Gibbs-White will pop up all over the attacking third, charging towards goal with the ball at his feet and arrowing passes out to the flanks or in-behind to keep things moving in the right direction. —Thom Harris, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025

Voters can only express approval or disapproval through binary voting choices; this all-or-nothing feedback mechanism does not allow a voter to distinguish between a politician's stance on healthcare, foreign policy, or conduct. —Nate Bennett, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025

In his zeal to field a contender, Adams had created an all-or-nothing scenario for the 1993 season. —Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

There are undoubtedly areas for refinement in Doku’s high-speed, all-or-nothing approach to wing play, but the adaptation should not be all one way. —Thom Harris, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for all-or-nothing

• nothing

Medical Definition

all-or-nothing

adjective

all-or-noth·​ing -ˈnəth-iŋ 

: all-or-none