ALL-PURPOSE Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

all-purpose

adjective

ˈȯl-ˈpər-pəs

Definition of all-purpose

as in unlimited

not limited or specialized in application or purpose there's nothing wrong with all-purpose flour for baking bread, but flour with more gluten is better

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of all-purpose Eligible products include hand tools, paint items, tape, soap, all-purpose cleaner and batteries. — Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2026 Wipe these surfaces with diluted dish soap or a grease-cutting all-purpose cleaner as part of your weekly kitchen cleaning routine to prevent greasy buildup. — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2026 Flora, who walked on in 2024 and was awarded a scholarship in January, finished with 296 all-purpose yards for the most by an Iowa State player since Leonard Johnson piled up 319 against Oklahoma State in 2008. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 Its former super sophomore, Duncan, is back, now a Georgia Power 100 senior who had more than 2,000 all-purpose yards last season. — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for all-purpose

Recent Examples of Synonyms for all-purpose

Adjective

Data is unlimited, so streaming and large downloads won’t hit a cap.

— StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
Guests needn’t pay a fee to enter the Victoria Falls park area and have a special entrance for unlimited access.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of unlimited

Adjective

There’s a distinction between general reasoning models, like LLMs, and the specialized AI biofoundation models like protein language models and protein structure prediction.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
Prior to this, Asian artists largely had to compete in the best global music performance category or the broader general pop fields.

— Jeff Benjamin, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of general

Adjective

For general-purpose use, Microsoft already taps its own central processing units as well as silicon from Intel and AMD.

— Jordan Novet, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
Unlike the measures in Rocklin and Lincoln, the Colfax measure would not provide general-purpose revenue.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of general-purpose

Browse Nearby Words

all-powerful

all-purpose

all right

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“All-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/all-purpose. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of all-purpose

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

outlandish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes