all-purpose

adjective

all-pur·​pose ˈȯl-ˈpər-pəs 

: suited for many purposes or uses

Synonyms of all-purpose

• unlimited
• general
• general-purpose

Examples of all-purpose in a Sentence

there's nothing wrong with all-purpose flour for baking bread, but flour with more gluten is better

Recent Examples on the Web

But as the internet began to play a bigger role in entertainment and commerce, Yahoo shifted its focus from sending traffic elsewhere to building an all-purpose website that people wouldn’t want to leave. —Michael Liedtke, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026

But as the internet began to play a bigger role in entertainment and commerce, Yahoo shifted its focus from sending traffic elsewhere to building an all-purpose website that people wouldn't want to leave. —ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026

Choose your favorite all-purpose flour for the cake batter. —Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026

As a junior, Harris gained nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards as a receiver, rusher or through the return game. —Dylan Heinrich, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for all-purpose

• multipurpose
• purpose

Kids Definition

all-purpose

adjective

all-pur·​pose

-ˈpər-pəs

: suitable for many uses

an all-purpose tool