all-or-noth·ing

(ôl′ər-nŭth′ĭng)

adj.

1. Involving either complete success or failure, with no intermediate result: "Downhill races are all-or-nothing events, decided on the basis of one run" (Neil Amdur).

2. Refusing to accept less than all demands; uncompromising: an all-or-nothing negotiating position.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

all′-or-noth′ing

adj.

not allowing qualification; either fully accepted or not at all: an all-or-nothing approach.

[1860–70]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.

all-or-nothing - occurring completely or not occurring at all

all-or-none

complete - having every necessary or normal part or component or step; "a complete meal"; "a complete wardrobe"; "a complete set of the Britannica"; "a complete set of china"; "a complete defeat"; "a complete accounting"

References in periodicals archive

1 Identify an all-or-nothing thought you've had that's at one extreme or the other.

WELLNESS; Reject all-or-nothing ways of thinking

Binary options are over-the-counter derivatives that allow clients to make 'all-or-nothing' bets on specific events in a specific timeframe.

Australia could take measures against risky derivatives trading

I am quite sure that the players in the team which lost the shoot-out would feel far better if they had a chance, over 90 minutes, to correct their mistake, instead of being subjected to this all-or-nothing event at the end of the match.

Take penalties before the game to end heartbreak! Get in touch - tell us what you think Email: letters@birminghammail.co.uk Twitter: @birminghammail Facebook: facebook.com/birminghammail Post: Birmingham Mail, 60 Church Street, Birmingham B3 2DJ

What's more, those who do follow a specialty diet are most likely to classify themselves with flexible terms such as "semi-vegetarian" or "flexitarian," indicating that dietary lifestyle choices are often not all-or-nothing decisions for consumers, said Bret Yonke, manager of consumer insights for Technomic.

3 Consumption of Meatless Dishes Remains Strong

The Interim Lightweight Title is up for grabs in this all-or-nothing event and these fighters will stop at nothing to win it all.

Fearless Forecast on UFC 236

President Donald Trump's "all-or-nothing" strategy and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's "small deal" approach.

US can consider 'good enough deal' as realistic option

It is an all-or-nothing, perfect-or-failure, perfect-or-forget-it mentality.

Don't be a perfectionist, just enjoy what you do

And it raises concerns that the increasingly popular all-or-nothing 'exclusion' diets can do severe damage to people's health.

Eating bread, pasta and rice in moderation lowers your risk of early death, Harvard finds

Vietnamese-Australian Nguyen said he's taking an 'all-or-nothing' approach in this quest to get Belt No.

Streaking Kevin Belingon vows to stop Martin Nguyen

An all-or-nothing clash with the West Indies could still happen on Wednesday.

Wheal of fortune's a winner; CRICKET