: 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
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When the wedding invitation arrived, it was noted that she wasn't allowed to bring a plus-one because that privilege was reserved for couples. Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025 Echoing Vallario, Hoover knew that Burch and Derek Blasberg, the hosts—both of whom are parents—wouldn’t bat an eye at a tiny plus-one. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2025 For the past three years, my now-estranged husband had been my plus-one on nearly all my work travel. Essence, 12 Sep. 2025 And there’s also the suggestion that Michaela believes Simone is betraying the feminist cause by settling at such a young age for the role of plus-one to a wealthy man who treats his relationships like a transaction. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plus-one

Word History

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of plus-one was in 1977

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Cite this Entry

“Plus-one.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plus-one. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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