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

Oh, there’s also Queenie’s frenemy Kate (Adrienne Warren), who brings along a hunky plus-one with a roving eye (Jelani Alladin). —Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026

Heigl’s plus-one was mom Nancy, who’s also her partner running the Jason Heigl Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to animal welfare. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026

As a result, the Oscar party guest list—which always includes all the nominees and their plus-ones—ballooned. —Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 3 Mar. 2026

In the Blackhawks’ 4-0 win over the Utah Mammoth, Levshunov was a plus-one as the Blackhawks scored one goal with him on the ice and allowed none. —Scott Powers, New York Times, 2 Mar. 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