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one

Syllabification: (one)
Pronunciation: /wən/
Translate one | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of one

number

  • the lowest cardinal number; half of two; 1:there’s only room for one person two could live as cheaply as one one hundred miles World War One a one-bedroom apartment (Roman numeral: i, I)
  • a single person or thing, viewed as taking the place of a group:they would straggle home in ones and twos
  • single; just one as opposed to any more or to none at all (used for emphasis):her one concern is to save her daughter
  • denoting a particular item of a pair or number of items:electronics is one of his hobbies he put one hand over her shoulder and one around her waist a glass tube closed at one end
  • denoting a particular but unspecified occasion or period:one afternoon in late October
  • used before a name to denote a person who is not familiar or has not been previously mentioned; a certain:he worked as a clerk for one Mr. Ming
  • informal, chiefly North American a noteworthy example of (used for emphasis):the actor was one smart-mouthed troublemaker he was one hell of a snappy dresser
  • identical; the same:all types of training meet one common standard
  • one year old.
  • one o’clock:it’s half past one I’ll be there at one
  • informal a one-dollar bill.
  • informal an alcoholic drink:a cool one after a day on the water
  • informal a joke or story:the one about the chicken farmer and the spaceship
  • a size of garment or other merchandise denoted by one.
  • a domino or dice with one spot.

pronoun

  • 1referring to a person or thing previously mentioned or easily identified:her mood changed from one of moroseness to one of joy her best apron, the white one do you want one?
  • 2a person of a specified kind:you’re the one who ruined her life Eleanor was never one to be trifled with my friends and loved ones
  • a person who is remarkable or extraordinary in some way:you never saw such a one for figures
  • 3 [third person singular] used to refer to the speaker, or any person, as representing people in general:one must admire him for his willingness one gets the impression that he is ahead

Phrases

at one

in agreement or harmony:they were completely at one with their environment

for one

used to stress that the person named holds the specified view, even if no one else does:I for one am getting a little sick of writing about it

one after another (or the other)

following one another in quick succession:one after another, the buses drew up

one and all

everyone:well done, one and all!

one and only

unique; single (used for emphasis or as a designation of a celebrity):the title of his one and only book the one and only Muhammad Ali

one by one

separately and in succession; singly.

one day

see day.

one-for-one

denoting or referring to a situation or arrangement in which one thing corresponds to or is exchanged for another:donations would be matched on a one-for-one basis with public revenues

one of a kind

see kind1.

one-on-one (or one-to-one)

denoting or referring to a situation in which two parties come into direct contact, opposition, or correspondence:maybe we should talk to them one-on-one

one or another (or the other)

denoting or referring to a particular but unspecified one out of a set of items:not all instances fall neatly into one or another of these categories

one or two

informal a few:there are one or two signs worth watching for

one thing and another

informal used to cover various unspecified matters, events, or tasks:what with one thing and another she hadn’t had much sleep recently

the one

informal
a person’s destined life partner:it sounds corny, but I think he’s the one

Origin:

Old English ān, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch een and German ein, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin unus. The initial w sound developed before the 15th century and was occasionally represented in the spelling; it was not accepted into standard English until the late 17th century

In modern English, the use of one as a pronoun to mean ‘anyone’ or ‘me and people in general,’ as in one must try one’s best, is generally restricted to formal contexts, outside which it is likely to be regarded as rather pompous or old-fashioned. In informal and spoken contexts, the normal alternative is you, as in you have to do what you can, don’t you?.

one in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of one in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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