free-for-all

[ free-fer-awl ]
See synonyms for free-for-all on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a fight, argument, contest, etc., open to everyone and usually without rules.

  2. any competition or contested situation that is disordered, impulsive, or out of control: a free-for-all at the buffet table.

  1. Informal. any enterprise or field of endeavor in which various companies, countries, participants, etc., compete without restriction: a price-cutting free-for-all among local stores.

adjective
  1. open to everyone.

Origin of free-for-all

1
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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British Dictionary definitions for free-for-all

free-for-all

noun
  1. informal a disorganized brawl or argument, usually involving all those present

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012