all-purpose

adjective

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

Synonyms of all-purpose

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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.
Orange Coast halfback Mike Hunter sparked the Pirates with his all-purpose running, including three of the longest punt returns in OCC history — 89, 67 and 66 yards. — Richard Dunn, Oc Register, 6 Aug. 2026 Remove from heat and add ¼ cup all-purpose flour, whisking constantly until a paste forms. — Inés Anguiano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026 Brashard Smith Before switching to running back at SMU, Brashard Smith was an impressive all-purpose player at Miami. — Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026 The 24-year-old product of the University of Texas led the NFL with 2,298 all-purpose yards last year, and no player has more than his 5,648 yards from scrimmage in the last three years. — Josh Kendall, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for all-purpose

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Browse Nearby Words

All-Pro
all-purpose
all-purpose flour
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Cite this Entry

“All-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-purpose. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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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

Nglish: Translation of all-purpose for Spanish Speakers

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