all-purpose
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of all-purpose
First recorded in 1925–30
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.
He also caught a touchdown pass in the game while accumulating 232 all-purpose yards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
Then there is “drama,” that vague, all-purpose term that gives the film its title.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026
More deals followed, including the purchase of New Orleans-style food and spices maker Zatarain’s in 2003 and all-purpose seasoning brand Lawry’s in 2008.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
The current 15 authorities and two levels of local government are due to be abolished and replaced with between three and five all-purpose unitary councils.
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026
That preoccupation has diminished somewhat—or been sublimated— in recent years as we have subscribed to an all-purpose, mass-market version of the American dream, but it hasn’t entirely disappeared.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
