the one

noun

A particularly special or compatible person or thing.

“He (Neo) is the One.”

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Meanings

nounthe one (plural the ones)

plural the ones

  1. colloquialA particularly special or compatible person or thing.

    That car's the one — I'll buy it.

    4 more examples

    I knew as soon I met him that John was the one for me and we were married within a month.

    I, I got a new life / You would hardly recognize me, I'm so glad / How could a person like me care for you / Why do I bother / When you're not the one for me / Oo-oo-oo-oo-ooh, is enough, enough

    1993, Jonas Berggren, “The Sign”, in The Sign, performed by Ace of Base

    When you love a woman then tell her / That she's really wanted / When you love a woman then tell her that she's the one / 'Cause she needs somebody to tell her / That it's gonna last forever

    1995, Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?”, in Don Juan DeMarco: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, performed by Bryan Adams

    Got a girl with California eyes / And I thought that she could really be the one this time / But I never got the chance to make her mine / Because she fell in love with little thin white lines

    2017, Halsey, Ricky Reed, Justin Tranter, Rogét Chahayed, “Bad at Love”, in Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, performed by Halsey
    1. colloquialA particular person destined to save the universe or world; the chosen one.

      He (Neo) is the One.

      2 more examples

      Jesus Christ is the One, the savior.

      They, like me, believe him (Anakin Skywalker) to be The One.

pronoun

plural the ones

  1. The person or thing.

    Here is the one I want to buy.

    1 more example

    In formal contexts, we can use 'that' and 'those' as substitutes meaning ‘the one(s)’.

Translations

Arabic الْمُخْتَار, الْمُخْتَارَة
  • الْمُخْتَار (al-muḵtār)person destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • الْمُخْتَارَة (al-muḵtāra)person destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
Catalan l'elegit, l'elegida
  • l'elegitperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • l'elegidaperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
Danish den, det
  • denthe person or thing
  • detthe person or thing
Dutch de ware
  • de wareperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
French l'élu, l'élue
  • l'éluperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • l'élueperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • celuithe person or thing
  • cellethe person or thing
  • celluithe person or thing
German der/die Auserwählte, der/die Auserkorene
  • der/die Auserwählteperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • der/die Auserkoreneperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
Greek εκλεκτός, εκλεκτή
  • εκλεκτός (eklektós)person destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • εκλεκτή (eklektí)person destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
Hebrew הנבחר, הנבחרה
  • הנבחר (ha-nivchár)person destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • הנבחרה (ha-nivchará)person destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
Hindi चुना हुआ, चुनी हुई
  • चुना हुआ (cunā huā)person destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • चुनी हुई (cunī huī)person destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
Italian quello scelto, quella scelta
  • quello sceltoperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • quella sceltaperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • il presceltoperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • la presceltaperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
Japanese 選ばれし者
  • 選ばれし者 (erabareshi mono)person destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
Korean 선택된 자
  • 선택된 자 (seontaekdoen ja)person destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
Polish ten jedyny
  • ten jedynyparticularly special or compatible person or thing
Portuguese o escolhido, a escolhida
  • o escolhidoperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • a escolhidaperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • othe person or thing
  • athe person or thing
Russian избранный
  • избранный (izbrannyj)person destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
Spanish el elegido, la elegida
  • el elegidoperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
  • la elegidaperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
Swedish den utvalde
  • den utvaldeperson destined to save the universe or world, also called the Chosen One
Welsh yr un
  • yr unthe person or thing
Cite this entry
APA

the one. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20one

MLA

“the one.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20one. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the one,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20one.

Source: the one on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.