one-to-one

American  

[wuhn-tuh-wuhn] / ˈwʌn təˈwʌn /

adjective

1. Also (of the relationship between two or more groups of things) corresponding element by element.

2. one-on-one.

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one-to-one British  

adjective

1. (of two or more things) corresponding exactly

2. denoting a relationship or encounter in which someone is involved with only one other person

   one-to-one tuition

3. maths characterized by or involving the pairing of each member of one set with only one member of another set, without remainder

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noun

1. a conversation, encounter, or relationship between two people

Etymology

Origin of one-to-one

First recorded in 1870–75

Compare meaning

How does one-to-one compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• onto vs. one-to-one

Example Sentences

If there’s any hope of moving forward on a human, one-to-one level, how we treat each other must be drastically reexamined.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

Kim Packard also saw little benefit to one-to-one devices for her four children.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Crypto exchange Kraken will become a distribution partner to Nasdaq, making the one-to-one tokenized versions of public company stocks available to Kraken’s customers in Europe and around the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

"There were multiple conversations, many one-to-one meetings with Nigel," says a Farage ally.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

There should be no disparity—the ratio should be one-to-one.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander