end-all
Americannoun
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the ultimate purpose, object, or conclusion.
Money is the be-all and end-all of his existence.
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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
It’s what Panko called an “optimization technique,” not the be-all and end-all of a retirement plan.
From MarketWatch ● May 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
“We didn’t even really think of ourselves really as, like, Hispanic — I mean, we all were, but it wasn’t the end-all be-all,” Barrios said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2025
The end-all mystery inside the bag was a small wooden picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
