end-all
Americannoun
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the ultimate purpose, object, or conclusion.
Money is the be-all and end-all of his existence.
-
something that brings things to such an end or conclusion.
noun
Etymology
Origin of 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.
It’s what Panko called an “optimization technique,” not the be-all and end-all of a retirement plan.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
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
“They know they’re talented. We know we’re talented. It’s a fun series. It’s a big series. It’s not the end-all, be-all in June. But it was fun.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2025
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
Sure, they were in love with each other, but history was like the be-all, end-all of intellectual stimulation to them.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
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.
