all-purpose

adjective

all-pur·​pose ˈȯl-ˈpər-pəs How to pronounce all-purpose (audio)
: suited for many purposes or uses

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
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.
Yarns, a Maryland native, had 2,392 all-purpose yards and 29 touchdowns over his final two college seasons. Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025 If booking fabulous vacations is important to you, getting an all-purpose travel card will give you more bang for your buck on flights and hotel stays than a straightforward cash-back card. Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2025 Fertilize once a month with an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer to keep the foliage lush and green for maximum food production. Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025 Ard totaled 2,028 all-purpose yards in his senior season at McKinney North High School, including 1,747 yards on the ground. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for all-purpose

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of all-purpose was in 1867

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“All-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-purpose. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

all-purpose

adjective
all-pur·​pose
-ˈpər-pəs
: suitable for many uses
an all-purpose tool

More from Merriam-Webster on all-purpose

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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