be-all and end-all
Americannoun
noun
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the ultimate aim or justification
to provide help for others is the be-all and end-all of this group
-
humorous a person or thing considered to be beyond improvement
Etymology
Origin of be-all and end-all
First recorded in 1595–1605
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But California would not prove to be the be-all and end-all for the rapper, who chose to lay down more permanent roots in Utah, just outside of Salt Lake City.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 18, 2026
Promotion is the be-all and end-all here, failure to achieve that will mean enduring those dreary 0-0s will have been for nothing.
From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2025
Drought Monitor shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all for decision-making, and should continue be paired with reservoir observations, snow surveys and other measurements to form a complete picture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2024
And certainly, I wanted everyone in the world to see the films when they come out — that's a natural way to be — but it's not the be-all and end-all.
From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2023
The realization baffled me, since that had been primary on our minds when we left—the be-all and end-all of our journey, the reason for leaving Mamá’s side.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
