one-man
Americanadjective
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of or relating to, or operated, performed, or used by one person.
a one-man office; a one-man band.
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preferring or seeking romantic involvement with one man only.
a one-man woman.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of one-man
First recorded in 1835–45
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.
This was a one-man show performed in two costumes.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
Following the loss, many in Mexico still are wondering why, despite having a one-man advantage for 36 minutes —plus 11 minutes of stoppage time — the team was unable to tie England.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
He has issued numerous written statements on policy matters but is far from replicating the one-man rule of his father.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
“The question is: Is Ted a one-man band?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
Even though Mr. Ray was helping out, and Chris was cool, I still felt like I went from a not-so-fancy version of the Cosbys to a one-man family.
From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds
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.
