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

See Examples For:

all-or-nothing

S&P 500 at 10,000 or bust: New ETF offers investors all-or-nothing bet on the index.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

The beauty of Finch is that it actively deters you from an all-or-nothing mindset; you can customize your goals realistically to your lifestyle and needs.

From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026

Murakami’s all-or-nothing approach, with a .939 OPS, reflects baseball’s pursuit of power despite a .236 batting average.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

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

From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2025

And the process was an all-or-nothing one; either you failed to modify at all, or else you modified the whole way.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• hard-line
• inflexible
• uncompromising
• unyielding

---