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Synonyms

all-purpose

American  
[awl-pur-puhs] / ˈɔlˈpɜr pəs /

adjective

  1. for every purpose.

    an all-purpose detergent.
all-purpose British  

adjective

  1. useful for many things

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of all-purpose

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Fewer all-purpose unitary councils are expected to save money and be simpler for residents.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

One undisputed example of contracts that went awry is $6 million allotted to AllHere, a tech startup that was hired to design an all-purpose, artificial intelligence chatbot for L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Warm, soapy water or a gentle all-purpose spray will take care of most surfaces.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

Nowadays, the industry uses more effective cleaners, such as peracetic acid, a kind of all-purpose antimicrobial agent used in hospital cleaners, produce washes, and meat processing.

From Slate • Feb. 13, 2026

“Daniel Hudson Burnham was one of the handsomest men I ever saw,” said Paul Starrett, later to lead construction of the Empire State Building; he joined Burnham & Root in 1888 as an all-purpose helper.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.