catchall

[kach-awl]

See more synonyms for catchall on Thesaurus.com

noun

a bag, basket, or other receptacle for odds and ends.
something that covers a wide variety of items or situations: The list is just a catchall of things I want to see or do on vacation.

adjective

covering a wide variety of items or situations: The anthology is a catchall collection.

Origin of catchall

1830–40, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase catch all

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for catchall

comprehensive, broad, across-the-board, all-around, blanket, encyclopedic, full, general, global, overall, sweeping, umbrella, whole, catchall, wall-to-wall

Examples from the Web for catchall

Contemporary Examples of catchall

Kocurek said he was told he had been terminated “for cause,” a catchall term that allows dismissal for just about any reason.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.
David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News
December 9, 2014
An accusation of witchcraft is vague enough to serve as a kind of catchall for discontent.
Will Saudi Arabia Execute Guest Workers for 'Witchcraft'?
Michael Schulson
March 29, 2014

Historical Examples of catchall

Most of you in this Chamber didn't know what was in this catchall bill and report.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006
Various
The IMF's propensity to provide a "catchall" one-measure-fits-all panacea is nothing short of shortsighted and disastrous.
After the Rain
Sam Vaknin
This department is a catchall for a lot of items, and it hides a lot of leaks and wastes in business.
Dollars and Sense
Col. Wm. C. Hunter