catchall
Americannoun
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a bag, basket, or other receptacle for odds and ends.
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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
Etymology
Origin of catchall
1830–40, noun use of verb phrase catch all
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.
What was unusual in April was a record 668,000 increase in job openings in “professional and business services,” a catchall category of white-collar jobs in fields from technology to finance to law.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
So far, the watchword of the invisible primary this time around seems to be “affordability,” a catchall term for Americans’ sense that life—everything from housing and childcare to groceries and gas—has gotten too expensive.
From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2026
Weight-loss drugs—a catchall term for Novo’s medications for diabetes and chronic weight management—have been at the center of a continuing feud between the companies.
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
The sources familiar with the Perez photo case said the officer was accused of “conduct unbecoming,” widely considered a catchall category for inappropriate behavior under department regulations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026
It took her another half an hour to find her mother’s spare keys to the Winslow house in the catchall drawer in the kitchen.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
