All's fair in love and war


People in love and soldiers in wartime are not bound by the rules of fair play.

Notes for All's fair in love and war

This proverb is frequently used when two people are contending for the love of a third.

Words Nearby All's fair in love and war

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with All's fair in love and war

All's fair in love and war

Any conduct is permissible in certain circumstances, as in Of course he called her—all's fair in love and war. This maxim, stated in various forms from 1579 on, today sometimes appears altered by an addition or substitution, as in All's fair in love and the World Series, or All's fair in love and war and an election year.

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