Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » be-all and end-all

be-all and end-all

The be all end all is defined as something or someone who is considered to be a perfect specimen or the best and most desired.

(noun)

An example of be-all-end-all is winning an Academy Award for a celebrity.

YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2013 by LoveToKnow Corp.

See be-all and end-all in Webster's New World College Dictionary

  1. a thing or person regarded as incapable of improvement; acme; ultimate
  2. chief or all-important element

See be-all and end-all in American Heritage Dictionary 4

or be-all and end-all

noun
The quintessential or all-important element: “Not that the more spectacular athleticism is the be all and end all of free skating. Spins . . . and intricate step sequences are also important” (Howard Bass).
link/cite print suggestion box