free-for-all
[ free-fer-awl ]
/ ˈfri fərˌɔl /
Save This Word!
noun
a fight, argument, contest, etc., open to everyone and usually without rules.
any competition or contested situation that is disordered, impulsive, or out of control: a free-for-all at the buffet table.
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
open to everyone.
SYNONYMS FOR free-for-all
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Origin of free-for-all
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
Words nearby free-for-all
free flap, free flight, free-floating, free-floating anxiety, Freefone, free-for-all, free form, Free French, freegan, free gift, free gingiva
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for free-for-all
British Dictionary definitions for free-for-all
free-for-all
noun
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