one.
The number represented by the Arabic numeral 1; the numerical value equal to that cardinal number.
Meaning & usage
The number represented by the Arabic numeral 1; the numerical value equal to that cardinal number.
In some religions, there is more than one god.
In many cultures, a baby turns one year old a year after its birth.
The first positive number in the set of natural numbers.
The cardinality of the smallest nonempty set.
The ordinality of an element which has no predecessor, usually called first or number one.
Where this word comes from
PIE word *h₁óynos Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English on English one From Middle English oon, on, oan, an, from Old English ān (“one”), from Proto-West Germanic *ain, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos (“single, one”). Doublet of a, an, and Uno. Cognate with Scots ae, ane, wan, yin (“one”); North Frisian ån (“one”); Saterland Frisian aan (“one”); West Frisian ien (“one”); Dutch een, één (“one”); German Low German een; German ein, eins (“one”); Danish en (“one”); Swedish en (“one”); Norwegian Nynorsk ein (“one”), Icelandic einn (“one”); Latin ūnus (“one”) (Old Latin oinos); Russian оди́н (odín), Spanish uno. False cognate of Malayalam ഒന്ന് (onnŭ), Tamil ஒன்னு (oṉṉu), ஒண்ணு (oṇṇu), ஒன்று (oṉṟu). The use as an indefinite personal pronoun may have been influenced by unrelated French on, although the Germanic languages widely use cognates for the same sense (usually in non-subject function, but also in subject function, e.g. Luxembourgish een). Verb form from Middle English onen.
One thing (among a group of others); one member of a group.
Any one of the boys.
Every one of the bank’s employees.
The first mentioned of two things or people, as opposed to the other.
She offered him an apple and an orange; he took (the) one and left the other.
I am one of the few women who've climbed Everest.
Any person (applying to people in general).
One’s guilt may trouble one, but it is best not to let oneself be troubled by things which cannot be changed. One shouldn’t be too quick to judge.
My neighbor talks to one like a teacher.
Any person, entity or thing.
"driver", noun: one who drives.
Where this word comes from
PIE word *h₁óynos Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English on English one From Middle English oon, on, oan, an, from Old English ān (“one”), from Proto-West Germanic *ain, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos (“single, one”). Doublet of a, an, and Uno. Cognate with Scots ae, ane, wan, yin (“one”); North Frisian ån (“one”); Saterland Frisian aan (“one”); West Frisian ien (“one”); Dutch een, één (“one”); German Low German een; German ein, eins (“one”); Danish en (“one”); Swedish en (“one”); Norwegian Nynorsk ein (“one”), Icelandic einn (“one”); Latin ūnus (“one”) (Old Latin oinos); Russian оди́н (odín), Spanish uno. False cognate of Malayalam ഒന്ന് (onnŭ), Tamil ஒன்னு (oṉṉu), ஒண்ணு (oṇṇu), ஒன்று (oṉṟu). The use as an indefinite personal pronoun may have been influenced by unrelated French on, although the Germanic languages widely use cognates for the same sense (usually in non-subject function, but also in subject function, e.g. Luxembourgish een). Verb form from Middle English onen.
The digit or figure 1.
Used to briefly refer to a noun phrase understood by context A one-dollar bill.
Used to briefly refer to a noun phrase understood by context One o'clock, either a.m. or p.m.
Used to briefly refer to a noun phrase understood by context One run scored by hitting the ball and running between the wickets; a single.
Used to briefly refer to a noun phrase understood by context A joke or amusing anecdote.
Did you hear the one about the agnostic dyslexic insomniac?
Used to briefly refer to a noun phrase understood by context A question.
You already know, so you can answer that one yourselves
Used to briefly refer to a noun phrase understood by context An alcoholic drink, especially a pint or can of beer.
I had a quick one after work
There’s nothing better than drinking a cold one when the weather’s boiling outside
Used to briefly refer to a noun phrase understood by context An act of sexual intercourse.
Just a quick one before work
A person or thing (having some specified characteristic or attribute).
Now, he's a curious one.
Well, well, well, it seems the silent one does have a voice, after all.
A person or thing (having some specified characteristic or attribute). A person with a tendency to do something.
He's not one for pulling his punches.
A person or thing (having some specified characteristic or attribute). A term of address.
Oh, most merciful one!
Hey, sleepy one.
A particularly special or compatible person or thing.
I knew as soon I met him that John was the one for me and we were married within a month.
That car's the one — I'll buy it.
A gay person.
The identity element with respect to multiplication in a ring.
Deliberate misspelling of !, used to amplify an exclamation, parodying unskilled typists who forget to press the shift key while typing exclamation points, thus typing “1”.
A: SUM1 Hl3p ME im alwyz L0ziN!1!?1!
B: y d0nt u just g0 away l0zer!!1!!one!!one!!eleven!!1!
Where this word comes from
PIE word *h₁óynos Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English on English one From Middle English oon, on, oan, an, from Old English ān (“one”), from Proto-West Germanic *ain, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos (“single, one”). Doublet of a, an, and Uno. Cognate with Scots ae, ane, wan, yin (“one”); North Frisian ån (“one”); Saterland Frisian aan (“one”); West Frisian ien (“one”); Dutch een, één (“one”); German Low German een; German ein, eins (“one”); Danish en (“one”); Swedish en (“one”); Norwegian Nynorsk ein (“one”), Icelandic einn (“one”); Latin ūnus (“one”) (Old Latin oinos); Russian оди́н (odín), Spanish uno. False cognate of Malayalam ഒന്ന് (onnŭ), Tamil ஒன்னு (oṉṉu), ஒண்ணு (oṇṇu), ஒன்று (oṉṟu). The use as an indefinite personal pronoun may have been influenced by unrelated French on, although the Germanic languages widely use cognates for the same sense (usually in non-subject function, but also in subject function, e.g. Luxembourgish een). Verb form from Middle English onen.
Of a period of time, being particular.
One day the prince set forth to kill the dragon that had brought terror to his father’s kingdom for centuries.
Being a single, unspecified thing; a; any.
My aunt used to say, "One day is just like the other."
Sole, only.
He is the one man who can help you.
The one male audience member at the concert is invited on stage.
Whole, entire.
Body and soul are not separate; they are one.
In agreement.
We are one on the importance of learning.
The same.
The two types look very different, but are one species.
Where this word comes from
PIE word *h₁óynos Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English on English one From Middle English oon, on, oan, an, from Old English ān (“one”), from Proto-West Germanic *ain, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos (“single, one”). Doublet of a, an, and Uno. Cognate with Scots ae, ane, wan, yin (“one”); North Frisian ån (“one”); Saterland Frisian aan (“one”); West Frisian ien (“one”); Dutch een, één (“one”); German Low German een; German ein, eins (“one”); Danish en (“one”); Swedish en (“one”); Norwegian Nynorsk ein (“one”), Icelandic einn (“one”); Latin ūnus (“one”) (Old Latin oinos); Russian оди́н (odín), Spanish uno. False cognate of Malayalam ഒന്ന് (onnŭ), Tamil ஒன்னு (oṉṉu), ஒண்ணு (oṇṇu), ஒன்று (oṉṟu). The use as an indefinite personal pronoun may have been influenced by unrelated French on, although the Germanic languages widely use cognates for the same sense (usually in non-subject function, but also in subject function, e.g. Luxembourgish een). Verb form from Middle English onen.
A single.
There was one box of biscuits available.
Used for emphasis in place of a. Being a preeminent example.
He is one hell of a guy.
Used for emphasis in place of a. Being an unknown person with the specified name; see also “a certain”.
The town records from 1843 showed the overnight incarceration of one “A. Lincoln”.
Where this word comes from
PIE word *h₁óynos Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English on English one From Middle English oon, on, oan, an, from Old English ān (“one”), from Proto-West Germanic *ain, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos (“single, one”). Doublet of a, an, and Uno. Cognate with Scots ae, ane, wan, yin (“one”); North Frisian ån (“one”); Saterland Frisian aan (“one”); West Frisian ien (“one”); Dutch een, één (“one”); German Low German een; German ein, eins (“one”); Danish en (“one”); Swedish en (“one”); Norwegian Nynorsk ein (“one”), Icelandic einn (“one”); Latin ūnus (“one”) (Old Latin oinos); Russian оди́н (odín), Spanish uno. False cognate of Malayalam ഒന്ന് (onnŭ), Tamil ஒன்னு (oṉṉu), ஒண்ணு (oṇṇu), ஒன்று (oṉṟu). The use as an indefinite personal pronoun may have been influenced by unrelated French on, although the Germanic languages widely use cognates for the same sense (usually in non-subject function, but also in subject function, e.g. Luxembourgish een). Verb form from Middle English onen.
To cause to become one; to gather into a single whole; to unite.
Where this word comes from
PIE word *h₁óynos Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English on English one From Middle English oon, on, oan, an, from Old English ān (“one”), from Proto-West Germanic *ain, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos (“single, one”). Doublet of a, an, and Uno. Cognate with Scots ae, ane, wan, yin (“one”); North Frisian ån (“one”); Saterland Frisian aan (“one”); West Frisian ien (“one”); Dutch een, één (“one”); German Low German een; German ein, eins (“one”); Danish en (“one”); Swedish en (“one”); Norwegian Nynorsk ein (“one”), Icelandic einn (“one”); Latin ūnus (“one”) (Old Latin oinos); Russian оди́н (odín), Spanish uno. False cognate of Malayalam ഒന്ന് (onnŭ), Tamil ஒன்னு (oṉṉu), ஒண்ணு (oṇṇu), ஒன்று (oṉṟu). The use as an indefinite personal pronoun may have been influenced by unrelated French on, although the Germanic languages widely use cognates for the same sense (usually in non-subject function, but also in subject function, e.g. Luxembourgish een). Verb form from Middle English onen.
Used at the end of a sentence to highlight the characteristics of someone or something.
Got almonds one.
How come so heavy one ah?
Used at the end of a sentence to highlight the originator of something.
My friend send one.
Who say one?
Used at the end of a sentence to highlight the likelihood of something occurring, as a characteristic of something else.
Can easily get lost one, know?
A nominalizer used to form a noun phrase without a head noun.
The sell fruits one go home already.
Where this word comes from
Analogous to several senses of Hokkien 個／个 (ê) and Mandarin 的 (de, declarative particle, nominalizer, etc.). This semantic loan might have stemmed from the apparent similarity between one as a prop-word and 的 (de) or 個 /个 (ê) as a nominalizer (e.g. 青色的 (“the green one”)). Compare Cantonese 嘅 (ge³).
Used as a relative pronoun at the end of a relative clause.
The bird that make a lot of noise one is gone already.
Where this word comes from
Analogous to several senses of Hokkien 個／个 (ê) and Mandarin 的 (de, declarative particle, nominalizer, etc.). This semantic loan might have stemmed from the apparent similarity between one as a prop-word and 的 (de) or 個 /个 (ê) as a nominalizer (e.g. 青色的 (“the green one”)). Compare Cantonese 嘅 (ge³).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.