one-way
Americanadjective
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moving, or allowing movement in one direction only.
a one-way street.
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valid for travel in one direction only.
a one-way ticket.
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without a reciprocal feeling, responsibility, relationship, etc..
It's a one-way friendship.
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not intended for return to a seller, dealer, etc., for reuse; disposable.
one-way bottles.
adjective
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moving or allowing travel in one direction only
one-way traffic
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entailing no reciprocal obligation, action, etc
a one-way agreement
Etymology
Origin of one-way
First recorded in 1815–25
Explanation
Something that's one-way only allows movement in one direction. A one-way street is marked with an arrow, and you better follow it! All cars, bikes, and motorcycles travel in the same direction on a one-way road, and you can say that traffic on one side of a divided highway is also one-way. You might encounter a one-way door at a supermarket, or a one-way line for entering a ride at an amusement park. You can also buy a one-way ticket on a bus or airplane, instead of a round trip that includes your ticket home.
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.
The low-cost drones, the first one-way attack drones the U.S. deployed in the Iran war, have roots in America’s preparation for a separate potential conflict between the U.S. and China.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Last year, he welcomed more than 300 visitors during the Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour and had to set up a one-way path through the garden to help manage the crowd.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
“Everyone will have their own views on inflation and deflation, but I don’t think it will be a one-way street,” said Hu of WinShore Capital.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
Airfares have spiked due to rising jet fuel costs and recent geopolitical events, with some one-way fares increasing over 50%.
From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026
They can't reply, but at least we'd have one-way communication.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
