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.
Fair warning, though: You won’t make it through this book without Googling the price of a one-way trip to Italy.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
The obvious success of one model and the obvious failure of another is documented with every one-way U-Haul rental.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Retirement is no longer a one-time, one-way exit, and contribution doesn’t peak once and decline — it evolves.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
Alex McKechnie chuckles at the leap of faith he took when he packed up almost all his belongings in Glasgow and booked a one-way flight to Vancouver, Canada on 7 September 1974.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
“Not sure if I could navigate the Worcester one-way system, even on a Big Trak.”
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
