'all-or-nothing' originates from the English phrase 'all or nothing,' where 'all' meant 'everything' and 'nothing' meant 'zero or none.'

'all or nothing' was used in English literature to describe situations where only complete success or failure was possible, eventually becoming the modern adjective 'all-or-nothing.'

Initially, it meant 'complete success or failure,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.