all-or-nothing

[awl-er-nuhth-ing]

adjective

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

   an all-or-nothing approach.

Word History and Origins

Origin of all-or-nothing¹

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

Breaks apiece early in the first set suggested the crowd on Louis Armstrong Stadium were about to enjoy a close contest, but Riedi's all-or-nothing aggressive game proved his downfall.

From BBC

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

From BBC

“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

One that echoes the larger philosophy of “The Choi of Cooking,” his new book built on balance, compassion and a rejection of the all-or-nothing thinking so many of us carry about food.

From Salon

Writing for UC Berkeley research in 2022, media specialist Edward Lempinen explained that Christian right leaders routinely preach now that they are in an "all-or-nothing struggle for existence, where the end justifies the means."

From Salon

Related Words

• hard-line 
• inflexible 
• uncompromising 
• unyielding