onefold

O1N1E1F4O1L1D2

adjective

Constituting or being indicative of a single aspect or theme.

Opposite
twofoldmanifoldmorefoldmultifold
OriginMiddle English onfold ← Old English ānfeald ← Proto-West Germanic *ainfald →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

adjectiveonefold (not comparable)
  1. not comparableConstituting or being indicative of a single aspect or theme.
  2. not comparableConsisting of a single undivided part; whole; complete.

    There the soul is onefold, pure and chaste, and empty of all things.

    2005, Boeve, Geybels, Van den Bossche, Encountering transcendence
  3. not comparableSimple, plain, straightforward.

    [Her] object was simple enough; but it was too simple—too onefold (if I may borrow an expressive word from my native tongue: ae-fauld we write it in Scotch) for the apprehension of ordinary persons[.]

    1875, Mrs. Oliphant, Whiteladies
  4. not comparableSingular, as opposite to plural.

    Ye see how ready men are to misconstrue and pervert the onefold meaning of the Lord.

    1844, Robert Rollock, Select works of Robert Rollock

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
twofoldmanifoldmorefoldmultifold
Also see
homogeneoussimplesinglefold

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*ainafalþaz“onefold, simple”
  2. Proto-West Germanic*ainfald
  3. Old Englishānfeald“single, simple”
  4. Middle Englishonfold
  5. Englishonefold

From Middle English onfold, anfald (“single, simple, honest, onefold”), from Old English ānfeald (“single, simple”, literally “onefold”), from Proto-West Germanic *ainfald, from Proto-Germanic *ainafalþaz (“onefold, simple”), equivalent to one + -fold. Cognate with Dutch eenvoud (“simplicity, easiness”), German Einfalt (“simplicity”) and einfach (“simple”), Icelandic einfaldur (“simple”), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍆𐌰𐌻𐌸𐍃 (ainfalþs, “simple”). More at one, -fold.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

onefold. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onefold

MLA

“onefold.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onefold. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “onefold,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onefold.

Source: onefold on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.