across-the-board

American  

[uh-kraws-thuh-bawrd, -bohrd, uh-kros-] / əˈkrɔs ðəˈbɔrd, -ˈboʊrd, əˈkrɒs- /

adjective

1. applying to all employees, members, groups, or categories; general.

   The across-the-board pay increase means a raise for all employees.

2. (of a bet) covering all possibilities of winning on a given result, especially by placing a combination bet on one horse in a race for win, place, and show.

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across-the-board British  

adjective

1. (of salary increases, taxation cuts, etc) affecting all levels or classes equally

2. horse racing the US term for each way

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across the board Idioms  

1. Applying to all the individuals in a group, as in They promised us an across-the-board tax cut, that is, one applying to all taxpayers, regardless of income. This expression comes from horse racing, where it refers to a bet that covers all possible ways of winning money on a race: win (first), place (second), or show (third). The board here is the notice-board on which the races and betting odds are listed. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

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Etymology

Origin of across-the-board

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

The president said he would instead impose an across-the-board 10% tariff on imports on global trade partners through an executive order.

From Los Angeles Times

Both conservative and liberal justices have questioned whether that act, which does not mention tariffs or taxes, authorizes across-the-board import duties.

From MarketWatch

However, the new survey found double-digit, across-the-board declines in confidence in the last year, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The union is seeking an immediate 16% raise for new teachers, an across-the-board 3% raise in the contract’s second year and significant automatic pay hikes tied to years of experience and continued education.

From Los Angeles Times

Yet the company, which usually raised prices on only a handful of items each January, took the across-the-board price increases because wages, material costs, shipping and other expenses have all climbed.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• sweeping