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.

---

Etymology

Origin of all-or-nothing

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

“I think with Elon, it’s kind of this all-or-nothing thing,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

In time, the exchange hopes, investors in its all-or-nothing options will graduate to trades involving more sophisticated contracts.

From The Wall Street Journal

It creates an all-or-nothing approach that is extremely hard to stick to.

From BBC

Plaintiffs and defendants alike overwhelmingly prefer to eliminate the risk of an all-or-nothing jury verdict by agreeing on a compromise dollar figure.

From Los Angeles Times

“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

Related Words

• hard-line
• inflexible
• uncompromising
• unyielding