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

The case, originally filed in 2012, accused Sutter of attempting to amass monopoly power in northern California through all-or-nothing contracts, requiring insurers to include all of its hospitals and physician groups in health plans. —Annika Merrilees, Sacbee.com, 26 Apr. 2025

Gilroy’s narrative doesn’t shy away from an all-or-nothing ethos, which becomes starkly, fervently clear in Cassian’s Season 2 journey. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2025

Gone is the all-or-nothing mentality that has long defined traditional fitness culture. —Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025

Spearheading Forest’s all-or-nothing attack under Nuno Espirito Santo, Gibbs-White will pop up all over the attacking third, charging towards goal with the ball at his feet and arrowing passes out to the flanks or in-behind to keep things moving in the right direction. —Thom Harris, New York Times, 9 Apr. 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