all-or-nothing

American  

[awl-er-nuhth-ing] / ˈɔl ərˈnʌθ ɪŋ /

adjective

1. not allowing for qualification or compromise; either fully or not at all operative.

   an all-or-nothing approach.

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Etymology

Origin of all-or-nothing

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

He kept the U.S. out of any major war and developed a nuclear strategy that evolved from “massive retaliation” to a policy that recognized how an all-or-nothing approach to thermonuclear weapons would be too dangerous.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

“Get used to, on some of these hard days, selling out a little bit of your positions. I think people look at it like it’s an all-or-nothing proposition,” Kailas said.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 7, 2025

She added that the exam system should allow pupils to build up credits, rather than the current all-or-nothing approach.

From BBC • Aug. 21, 2025

“It’s about just changing the stigma people have and that all-or-nothing mentality ... of what fitness should be about.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 31, 2025

And the process was an all-or-nothing one; either you failed to modify at all, or else you modified the whole way.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Related Words

• hard-line
• inflexible
• uncompromising
• unyielding