plus-one

noun

ˈpləs-ˈwən 

: a person who accompanies an invited guest to an event or gathering at which guests are allowed to bring a companion or partner

My husband twice received handsome engraved invitations to presidential dinners. For those events and many others, I was the perpetual plus-one.

—Ana Marie Cox

Examples of plus-one in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Her plus-one for the Hollywood Bowl that night had to bow out. — David Allen, Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026

Kidman, a co-chair of the 2026 Met Gala, brought her daughter Sunday as her plus-one, though the then-17-year-old’s attendance bent the event’s 18-and-over rule. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026

The result is that the entire research community, since so much money has been poured into this, is just going for n-plus-one research improvements. — Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

However, the Scarpetta actress broke Met Gala rules by bringing her eldest daughter as her plus-one to the biggest night in fashion on May 4. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 18 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for plus-one

• begun
• grandson
• gudrun
• handgun
• homespun
• outdone
• outrun
• pashtun
• redone
• rerun
• shotgun
• someone