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

“That’s a tough situation for him to come in, especially someone like him, right? It’s really like an all-or-nothing thing, so to see him get out of that inning, it was just super cool.”

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It’s an all-or-nothing bet on a trillion-dollar scale, and investors are all in.

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

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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.

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

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Related Words

• hard-line 
• inflexible 
• uncompromising 
• unyielding