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.
One reason that Snead could be so fearless was that he had come to the realization that, contrary to NFL orthodoxy, the draft wasn’t the be-all, end-all of teambuilding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 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
But Olympic medal tables do not tell the full story, and are not the be-all and end-all.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2026
One woman told the tribunal that Gilbert had been the "golden boy" of his department, and that he was the "be-all and end-all for transplants in Oxford".
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
The realization baffled me, since that had been primary on our minds when we left—the be-all and end-all of our journey, the reason for leaving Mamá’s side.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
