once and for all

Idioms  

1. As a settled matter, finally, permanently, as in Once and for all, we're not hiring that organist again, or We've settled that question once and for all. This expression is in effect an abbreviation for “one time and for all time.” [Late 1400s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

once and for all

In 2019, in his first speech as prime minister, Boris Johnson said the Conservative Party would "fix the crisis in social care once and for all".

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

The 14th Amendment repudiated that old constitutional order once and for all, and now, as interpreted, declared that belonging would no longer depend on blood, lineage, or inherited status.

From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026

"Let us celebrate. But let us not forget. And let us learn, once and for all, that war is a failure. Dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward," he said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

The whole point of their years of endeavor is to end it once and for all.

From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026

If they ain’t there, then that means once and for all.

From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness