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

Another almost all-purpose classic is a saison, especially Saison Dupont, which pairs particularly well with salmon. — Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 24 July 2026

The all-purpose Nvidia GPUs cost quite a bit more than the single-purpose, inflexible ASICs, with Google and its TPU being a famous example. — Todd Gordon, CNBC, 22 July 2026

Almond flour contains more protein and fiber than all-purpose flour. — Lindsey Desoto, Health, 21 July 2026

In a bowl, whisk an egg, sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 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