all-purpose

adjective

all-pur·​pose ˈȯl-ˈpər-pəs 

: suited for many purposes or uses

Synonyms

• all-around
• all-round
• catholic
• general
• general-purpose
• unlimited
• unqualified
• unrestricted
• unspecialized

Examples of all-purpose in a Sentence

there's nothing wrong with all-purpose flour for baking bread, but flour with more gluten is better

Recent Examples on the Web

Fertilize once a month with an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer to keep the foliage lush and green for maximum food production. —Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025

Ard totaled 2,028 all-purpose yards in his senior season at McKinney North High School, including 1,747 yards on the ground. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Feb. 2025

This is an all-purpose unit with a wide horizontal profile designed to be mounted on top of your TV screen. —K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2025

Also, from-scratch wrappers only require mixing all-purpose flour and water, then letting the dough rest for a little bit to become smooth and silky before kneading and rolling it out. —Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

all-purpose

adjective

all-pur·​pose

-ˈpər-pəs

: suitable for many uses

an all-purpose tool