across-the-board
/əˌkrɒs ðə ˈbɔːd/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Happening in every part or to every person in a group. It means something affects all cases, not just some. It is often used before a noun.
- The company made across-the-board pay cuts.
- We need across-the-board changes, not small fixes.
- The government announced across-the-board tax relief.
adverb
In a way that affects everyone or everything equally. This use is less common than the adjective use.
- Prices rose across the board.
- The policy applies across the board.
- Sales improved across the board.
Adinary Nuance
Across-the-board means “for everyone” or “in all areas.” It is broader than general and stronger than widespread because it stresses equal effect everywhere. Writers often choose it for business, policy, and official news. It sounds neutral and formal, not casual.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- đồng loạt
- Spanish
- generalizado
- Chinese
- 全面的
- Japanese
- 全体的な
- Korean
- 전면적인
Etymology
The phrase came into English in the early 1900s. It is based on the idea of something reaching all points of a board, so it affects every part equally.
Common phrases
across-the-board cutsacross-the-board increaseacross-the-board reformsacross the board
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is across-the-board formal or informal?
- It is fairly formal and common in business, news, and government writing.
- Can I say across-the-board for one person?
- Usually no. It is used for groups, all departments, or all cases.
- What is the difference between across-the-board and overall?
- Overall means in general. Across-the-board means affecting every part or everyone equally.
- Do people say across the board or across-the-board?
- Both are used. The hyphenated form is common before a noun.