all's fair in love and war

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Unpleasant behavior is acceptable during love and conflict.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Hành vi khó chịu được chấp nhận trong tình yêu và xung đột

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “all's fair in love and war” mean?

Unpleasant behavior is acceptable during love and conflict.

Is “all's fair in love and war” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.