one-on-one
[ wuhn-on-wuhn, -awn- ]
/ ˈwʌn ɒnˈwʌn, -ɔn- /
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adjective
consisting of or involving direct individual competition, confrontation, or communication; person-to-person: a one-on-one discussion.
adverb
in direct encounter: I'd rather settle this with her one-on-one.
noun
a meeting or confrontation between two persons.
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Idioms about one-on-one
go one-on-one with, Sports. to play directly against (an opposing player).
Origin of one-on-one
An Americanism dating back to 1965–70
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use one-on-one in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for one-on-one
one-on-one
adjective
denoting a relationship or encounter in which someone is involved with only one other persona one-on-one meeting
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with one-on-one
one on one
A direct encounter between two persons, especially a conflict, as in The two department heads went one on one regarding shelf space. This slangy expression almost certainly comes from sports. It is commonly used to refer to a two-person basketball game, but is also applied to the interaction of two players on opposing teams in football, soccer, and similar team sports. [c. 1960]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.