number one
noun
plural number ones
1
a
: one's own interests or welfare : oneself
It's time to take care of number one
—often written No. 1Looking out for No. 1 is not a selfish thing when it comes to rescuing someone, area firefighters learned.—
Cathy Spaulding
Cathy Spaulding
b
: one that is first in rank, importance, or influence
Who's number one in this office?
Madonna has just made a big announcement. The "Material Girl" … will release not one, but two new collections. One will feature 50 number ones with the other being a 16-track version of the album.—Edward Pevos
—often written No. 1Edward PevosThe Texas Tech men's golf team, which has finished among the top three in each of its three tournaments this season, is No. 1 in the GolfStat ranking that was released Wednesday.—Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Journal (online)
Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Journal (online)2
informal
: liquid waste from the body : urine
—used euphemistically
When astronauts go number one, a slight vacuum in the toilet pulls urine into a low-pressure chamber, which forces the water to evaporate.—Kaitlin Sullivan
compare number two
Kaitlin SullivanExamples of number one in a Sentence
Who's number one in this office?
Getting the car fixed is number one on my list of priorities.
I'll tell you why we can't go on a vacation: number one, we can't afford it, and number two, we'll miss my sister's party.
Her movie is currently number one at the box office.
When the goal was scored, the fans started to chant, “We're number one, we're number one.”
I've been taking care of other people for too long. It's time for me to take care of number one.
Recent Examples on the Web
And number one is still and always will be walking or jogging.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 7 June 2026
What really bounces the Bengals into the number one position is their schedule.
—Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Bathrooms Bathrooms are number one on our no-carpet list for a reason.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026
His number one objective for United next season will be to keep them on the front foot in games, and those in the Stretford End will quickly come to appreciate Ederson’s work ethic.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for number one
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Nathan Diller, USA Today, 7 June 2026
What really bounces the Bengals into the number one position is their schedule.
—Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Bathrooms Bathrooms are number one on our no-carpet list for a reason.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026
His number one objective for United next season will be to keep them on the front foot in games, and those in the Stretford End will quickly come to appreciate Ederson’s work ethic.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for number one
Cite this Entry
“Number one.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/number%20one. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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