: marked either by entire or complete operation or effect or by none at all
all-or-none response of a nerve cell

Examples of all-or-none in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That mistake is the cognitive error known as black-and-white thinking, also called dichotomous and all-or-none thinking. Jeremy P. Shapiro, The Conversation, 2 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'all-or-none.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of all-or-none was in 1656

Dictionary Entries Near all-or-none

Cite this Entry

“All-or-none.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-or-none. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

all-or-none

adjective
: marked either by complete operation or effect or by none at all
all-or-none response of a nerve cell

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