all-or-nothing option
nounUK /ˌɔːl ɔː ˈnʌθɪŋ ˈɒpʃən/
US /ˌɔːl ɔːr ˈnʌθɪŋ ˈɑːpʃən/
A choice where you get everything if you win, or nothing at all if you lose.
The contest was an all-or-nothing option: the winner took the whole prize and everyone else got zero.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A financial contract that pays a fixed amount if a certain event happens and nothing otherwise.
The trader bought an all-or-nothing option that would pay out only if the stock closed above $50.
3. A decision in which partial success counts as total failure.
For the startup, launching the product was an all-or-nothing option—either it sold out or the company folded.
4. A situation where there is no middle ground between complete success and complete loss.
The final round felt like an all-or-nothing option, with no second chances.