What is the meaning of be-all and end-all?

noun

  • The essential factor; the all-important element; the supreme aim.
    • usage: "profit is the be-all and end-all of business"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). be-all and end-all. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/be-all_and_end-all/definitions/1214424
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "be-all and end-all" http://smartdefine.org/be-all_and_end-all/definitions/1214424 (accessed September 23, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, be-all and end-all, Smart Define, viewed 23 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/be-all_and_end-all/definitions/1214424>.
MLAWordNet. "be-all and end-all" 23 October 2010. Web. 23 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/be-all_and_end-all/definitions/1214424>