Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

be-all and end-all en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic) Something considered to be of the utmost importance; something essential or ultimate.
    • That but this blow / Might be the be-all and the end-all! a. 1606, William Shakespeare, Macbeth, act 1, scene 7, lines 4–5:
    • Profit is the be-all and end-all of business.
    • He thought that cars were the be-all and end-all of life.
    • The compulsory tests in reading, writing and maths at the end of years 2 and 6 are often mistakenly seen as the be-all and end-all of a child's chances in life, and the quality of their school. 2014 September 23, A teacher, “Choosing a primary school: a teacher's guide for parents”, in The Guardian:
    • Back in the day, pore strips were the be-all and end-all for removing blackheads and buildup around the nose. These days, there are gentler and more effective ways to unclog the pores around the nostrils, but some have found success with strips and experience no irritation. If you're looking to try some, consider these six Byrdie-approved pore strips. 2025 April 23, Julia A. Siegel, MD, “12 Methods to Unclog Pores That Dermatologists Swear By”, in Byrdie:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
be-all end-all alternative lexicographic
end-all and be-all alternative lexicographic
be-alls and end-alls Number=Plur lexicographic
end-all be-all alternative lexicographic

Relateds

end in itself · raison d'être

Translations (13)

de das ist auch nicht alles (Something considered to be of the utmost importance) · fi kaikki kaikessa (Something considered to be of the utmost importance) · pl wszystko, co najważniejsze (Something considered to be of the utmost importance) · grc ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος (Something considered to be of the utmost importance) · de Wichtigste (Something considered to be of the utmost importance) · de Daseinsgrund (Something considered to be of the utmost importance) · fr raison d'être (Something considered to be of the utmost importance) · sv A och O (Something considered to be of the utmost importance) · de A und O (Something considered to be of the utmost importance) · es lo más importante (Something considered to be of the utmost importance) · pt razão de ser (Something considered to be of the utmost importance) · de Maß aller Dinge (Something considered to be of the utmost importance) · cs první a poslední (Something considered to be of the utmost importance)