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Showing results for all-purpose. Search instead for all+purpose.
Synonyms

all-purpose

American  
[awl-pur-puhs] / ˈɔlˈpɜr pəs /

adjective

  1. for every purpose.

    an all-purpose detergent.
all-purpose British  

adjective

  1. useful for many things

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of all-purpose

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The current 15 authorities and two levels of local government are due to be abolished and replaced with between three and five all-purpose unitary councils.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Warm, soapy water or a gentle all-purpose spray will take care of most surfaces.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

Nowadays, the industry uses more effective cleaners, such as peracetic acid, a kind of all-purpose antimicrobial agent used in hospital cleaners, produce washes, and meat processing.

From Slate • Feb. 13, 2026

His 2,039 all-purpose yards were a school record, helping him become an Associated Press second team All-American all-purpose player after ranking third nationally with 145.6 all-purpose yards per game.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026

If you look considerably slimmer, diary, it’s only because you have been my all-purpose supply book.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.