end-all
Americannoun
-
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.
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
It's not the be-all and end-all, but it would be another marker the players can look back on.
From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025
He told Laverne that while he still works "very, very hard" it is no longer the "be-all and end-all of everything".
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2025
“This is not the end-all, be-all; you still need that enforcement side, the education and the engineering,” said Jennifer Seeto, captain of the sheriff’s Malibu/Lost Hills station.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2024
Peck’s access to an end-all weapon makes him valuable.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
![]()
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.