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

Council President Mitra Jalali has likened the city’s existing menu of options for errant property owners to an all-or-nothing approach. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 29 Nov. 2024

Philanthropy, however, does not have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. —Robert Reiss, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

The sketch coyly upped the ante of such all-or-nothing verbiage—important, but also familiar—when the game’s host (played by Michael Longfellow, following Bill Hader’s original turn) brought out Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. —Amanda Wicks, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2024

The bottom line is that running an ingredient household doesn't need to be an all-or-nothing thing, and there are ways to stock your kitchen that work for everyone in your family. —Suzanne Hayes, Parents, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

all-or-nothing

adjective

all-or-noth·​ing -ˈnəth-iŋ 

: all-or-none