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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.

Fewer all-purpose unitary councils are expected to save money and be simpler for residents.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

One undisputed example of contracts that went awry is $6 million allotted to AllHere, a tech startup that was hired to design an all-purpose, artificial intelligence chatbot for L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

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

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

It’s betting on strong demand for enterprise AI products that make up for their lack of all-purpose power with task-specific customization.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

The Time cover story, an all-purpose certification of celebrity in that era, enhanced Ernest’s fame among the lay public, which was happy to offer unsolicited advice and criticism to the brilliant young American scientist.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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.