one-on-one

[ wuhn-on-wuhn, -awn- ]

adjective

1. consisting of or involving direct individual competition, confrontation, or communication; person-to-person:

   a one-on-one discussion.

adverb

1. in direct encounter:

   I'd rather settle this with her one-on-one.

noun

1. a meeting or confrontation between two persons.

one-on-one

adjective

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

   a one-on-one meeting

Word History and Origins

Origin of one-on-one¹

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go one-on-one with, Sports. to play directly against (an opposing player).

More idioms and phrases containing 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]

Example Sentences

DIS allows students in FSU's Honors Program to work one-on-one with faculty mentors in an open-ended, hands-on research experience and would allow Hartman to be more involved with mathematical modeling.

From Science Daily

“I just thought talking to people one-on-one was too slow,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

From childhood he preferred being alone and one-on-one friendships to groups.

From BBC

DeRozan told reporters at the time that he still considered Drake a friend, and compared the feud to a spectacle along the lines of Michael Jordan facing Kobe Bryant one-on-one.

From BBC

His first try followed an unbelievable offload by Wallace Sititi, before coming up against Ellis Genge in a one-on-one situation - and there was only one person winning that battle.

From BBC

Related Words

• antagonism
• clash
• conflict
• contest
• duel
• encounter
• event
• fight
• jealousy
• matchup
• race
• strife
• struggle
• tug-of-war