number one
Americannoun
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number ones
plural
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oneself, especially one's own well-being or interests.
to look out for number one.
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a person, company, etc., that is first in rank, order, or prestige.
Our team is number one.
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urination: used especially by or with reference to children.
adjective
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of the highest in quality, status, importance, etc.; first-rate.
a number one performance.
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first in rank, order, or prestige.
the number one book on the bestseller list.
idioms
noun
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the first in a series or sequence
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an informal phrase for oneself myself
to look after number one
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informal the most important person; leader, chief
he's number one in the organization
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informal the bestselling pop record in any one week
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euphemistic the act or an instance of urination
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a haircut in which the hair is cut very close to the head with an electric shaver
adjective
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first in importance, urgency, quality, etc
number one priority
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informal (of a pop record) having reached the top of the charts
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of number one
First recorded in 1830–40
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
What’s really effective about that is, number one, you’re speaking to the manager’s goals and making it in their interest to do this.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
He entered the mainstream with his 1969 single, Space Oddity, and went on to achieve 11 number one albums.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
"As the number one and number two superpowers in AI by a lot, it behooves all of us to put up guardrails, to have close communication," Bessent told reporters this month.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
“Dinner is the number one pain point in modern family life,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Rule number one: Never settle for the first offer.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
