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

Monday could be interesting, though, to see how all the processing of the trade works out, and if there yet could be a Heat plus-one in this process. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 July 2026

The plus-ones are usually spouses or partners, but not always. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Christopher Meloni brings his daughter, Sophia Meloni, as his plus-one to the Palm Springs International ShortFest in Palm Springs, California, on June 26. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026

Rumors have ranged from a small, fairytale wedding at her house in Rhode Island to an intimate New York City celebration with no plus-ones before the Garden buzz took center stage. — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 1 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