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definitions

one-on-one

[wuhn-on-wuhn, -awn-]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR one-on-one ON THESAURUS.COM

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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RELATED WORDS

showdown, contest, convention, competition, session, talk, reunion, date, encounter, confrontation, fight, duel, clash, antagonism, jealousy, strife, race, struggle, event, conflict

Nearby words

  1. one-night stand,
  2. one-nighter,
  3. one-note,
  4. one-of-a-kind,
  5. one-off,
  6. one-one,
  7. one-parent family,
  8. one-piece,
  9. one-point perspective,
  10. one-reeler

Idioms

    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. 2019
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
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.