one
wuhn
One (num) means the number 1; the first positive whole number. Example: “She only needed one more point to win the game.”
num
1
The number 1; the first positive whole number.
"She only needed one more point to win the game."
"There is one apple left in the bowl."
"The recipe needs one egg and two cups of flour."
pron
1
A single unspecified person or thing.
"One must be careful when handling chemicals."
"I only have one of these left."
"These shoes are too small, so I need a bigger one."
adj
1
Single; sole; the only one.
"There is one solution to this problem."
"The one thing she wanted was a quiet evening at home."
"He was the one person who understood how I felt."
How to use one
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe number 1, or a way of referring to an unspecified person ("one must try").
Common mistake
Using "one" as a pronoun ("one should always be polite") is fairly formal in modern English; "you" is more natural in casual speech.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
one by one
one of a kind
each and every one
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Word forms
- Plural
- ones
- Third person singular
- ones
- Past tense
- oned
- Adjective
- one's
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She only needed _____ more point to win the game.
Etymology
From Old English an, from Proto-Germanic ainaz, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "single."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for one
See all rhymes for one →Frequently asked questions
What does “one” mean?
The word “one” means the number 1; the first positive whole number. In plain terms, the number 1, or a way of referring to an unspecified person ("one must try").
How do you pronounce “one”?
“One” is pronounced wuhn (/wʌn/ in IPA).
How do you use “one” in a sentence?
Here is “one” used in a sentence: “She only needed one more point to win the game.”
What is another word for “one”?
Words with a similar meaning to “one” include yan, yen, you and they.
What part of speech is “one”?
Depending on how it is used, “one” can be a num, a pronoun and an adjective.
Where does the word “one” come from?
The word “one” comes from Old English. From Old English an, from Proto-Germanic ainaz, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "single.".
Is “one” a common word?
“One” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “one” have?
“One” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the number 1; the first positive whole number.
Is one a prime number?
No. A prime number has exactly two distinct divisors — 1 and itself. One has only a single divisor, so it counts as neither prime nor composite. Mathematicians exclude it deliberately, largely so that every whole number has one unique prime factorization.
Is one a natural number?
Yes, one is a natural number — a positive whole number used for counting. It is the smallest positive integer and the first counting number. Whether zero also counts as natural depends on the convention you follow, but one is always included.
What is the difference between 'one' and 'won'?
They are homophones — pronounced the same but different in meaning and spelling. 'One' is the number 1 or a pronoun, as in 'the blue one.' 'Won' is the past tense of 'win,' as in 'she won the race.' Only the numeral sense belongs to this entry.
Is one an odd number?
Yes, one is an odd number — it cannot be divided by two without leaving a remainder. In fact it is the first and smallest positive odd number, sitting right before three in the sequence of odd integers.
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