all-or-nothing

adjective

all-or-noth·​ing

ˌȯl-ər-ˈnə-thiŋ

1

: all-or-none

2

a

: accepting no less than everything

he's an all-or-nothing perfectionist

b

: risking everything

an all-or-nothing combat strategy

Examples of all-or-nothing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And for a while, that kind of all-or-nothing standard was a positive. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025

This is a crude and unreasonable attempt to make the discussion into an all-or-nothing affair. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

Park leans into the all-or-nothing nature of capitalism, portraying a whole society in which a good job determines one’s self-worth. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025

Switching to a lawn alternative doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing decision. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for all-or-nothing

• nothing

Medical Definition

all-or-nothing

adjective

all-or-noth·​ing -ˈnəth-iŋ 

: all-or-none