Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Broad in scope or content; applying to all categories or members of a group: "across-the-board" describes something that is comprehensive, all-encompassing, and not limited to specific parts or individuals. It implies a uniform application to an entire range.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective:
  • The company announced an across-the-board salary increase for all employees. (The increase applied uniformly to everyone, regardless of position.)
  • The new policy imposed across-the-board budget cuts on every department. (The cuts were comprehensive and affected all departments equally.)
  • The study provided an across-the-board analysis of the industry's challenges. (The analysis was broad and covered all major aspects.)

Advanced Usage

• Used as an adjective before a noun: It almost always modifies a noun directly to indicate its comprehensive nature.
  • an across-the-board agreement
  • across-the-board reforms

Variants and Related Words

• Blanket (adj): Covering all cases or instances; general.
  • a blanket ban
• Comprehensive (adj): Including all or nearly all elements or aspects of something.
  • a comprehensive guide
• All-encompassing (adj): Including everything.
  • an all-encompassing theory
• Panoptic (adj): Presenting a comprehensive or panoramic view.
  • a panoptic survey (Note: This is a more formal, literary term.)

Synonyms

• Universal: Applicable to all cases.
• Sweeping: Extensive in scope or effect.
• General: Affecting or concerning all or most people or things.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Across the board: This phrase can also function as an adverbial phrase meaning "applying to all" or "in all respects."
  • The team improved across the board. (The team improved in all areas or all members improved.)
  • Stocks fell across the board today. (Stocks in all sectors or indices fell.)

Adjective

1. broad in scope or content
   • across-the-board pay increases
   • an all-embracing definition
   • blanket sanctions against human-rights violators
   • an invention with broad applications
   • a panoptic study of Soviet nationality- T.G.Winner
   • granted him wide powers