one-size-fits-all

American  

[wuhn-sahyz-fits-awl] / ˈwʌnˈsaɪzˌfɪtsˈɔl /

adjective

1. (of clothing) designed to fit people of a wide range of sizes.

2. Informal. acceptable or used for a wide variety of purposes or circumstances; appealing or suitable to a variety of tastes.

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one-size-fits-all British  

adjective

1. relating to policies or approaches that are standard and not tailored to individual needs

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Etymology

Origin of one-size-fits-all

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Above all, remember that insider promotions are not a one-size-fits-all strategy.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 3, 2025

Neither of these approaches is necessarily right or wrong—they instead illustrate journalism researcher Angèle Christin’s conclusion about journalists’ approach to audience measurement data: “There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for handling metrics.”

From Slate • Mar. 1, 2021

However, some county-level officials continue to take umbrage with what they see as an overly slow, one-size-fits-all strategy.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2020

Countries settled on a bottom-up approach allowing each nation to submit its own plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions rather than trying to agree on a one-size-fits-all strategy, greatly simplifying the job of negotiations.

From Time • Dec. 12, 2015

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., which owns Dow Jones, said that it was reviewing the one-size-fits-all strategy that Fenwick had put in place for its news wires and other products.

From Washington Post • Jan. 25, 2014