once and for all
179
3.9
- idiom
:
de una vez por todas
- She wants to put an end to the arguments between them once and for all.
- settle the matter once and for all
- solve the problem once and for all
- resolve once and for all
And you recognize once and for all there is nothing you can do.
- And you recognize once and for all there is nothing you can do.
- I'm sure the next couple of years will tell us once and for all which one it is.
- But I need to make it clear to you once and for all that this is horrible advice.
- Supreme Court was going to decree this once and for all.
- Let's hope this video puts the issue to rest once and for all.
- So I'm going to get rid of them once and for all.
- The German offense had been beaten once and for all.
- That's the passport out of this pandemic once and for all.
- And it's something that isn't just once and for all.
- And So what do you say we just clear it all up once and for all?
Examples
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And that's why you turn to us so we can once and for all put this to bed.
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The fiasco over tax credits demonstrated once and for all that we were not in this together.
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It's not something that you can choose once and for all and hope to be effective.
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Stop these guys once and for all.
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I need to just clear the air with him once and for all.
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We're going to get to the bottom of this once and for all.
Fiction book (1993) -
But I need to make it clear to you once and for all that this is horrible advice.
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So we can actually clear this up once and for all on this here podcast.
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I'm sure the next couple of years will tell us once and for all which one it is.
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Susan, we settled that question once and for all.
Synonyms
42
4.1
Says or does something in a clear and final way that leaves no doubt
29
3.7
In a firm way that ends doubt and settles the matter
27
3.9
In a way that proves something and leaves no doubt
To decide a legal case so it cannot be changed
How Final
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'once' (one time) plus 'for all' (for everything/for all time) produce a recognisable compositional logic of a single act that applies permanently, and many languages have similar calques, so part of the meaning can be inferred. However, the precise idiomatic force of 'finally and completely settle' is not fully predictable from the words alone for an average B1 learner without prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Once and for all comes from the simple idea of doing something one time (once) so it is finished for everyone and always (for all); imagine fixing a leak once so it never happens again. That's why it means 'finally' and 'completely'.