one and only
65
3.9
- idiom
:
único
- Everyone, please welcome the one and only Stephen Colbert.
- one and only way
- one and only God
Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Heather McMahon.
- Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Heather McMahon.
- Her name is the one and only Liza Koshy.
- We are back with the one and only Mariska Hargitay.
- Next guest was the one and only Chloe Burrows.
- And of course, it's featuring the one and only Robert Kiyosaki.
- We're back Startalk Adam Savage, the one and only of Mythbusters fame.
Examples
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So please welcome the one and only Ron Padgett.
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Give it up for the one and only Tony Hinchcliffe.
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Now moving on to the one and only Adam Small.
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The one and only thing not to forget.
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That is the one and only truth about it.
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For many students, the basic music course will be their one and only opportunity to learn about music.
Academic text (1993) -
We believe He is and will always be the one and only God.
Blog text (4) -
Make some noise for the one and only BC Young Fly.
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Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Heather McMahon.
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Make some noise for the one and only Beyoncé, the queen of pop music.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
The single person or thing of its kind
∞
1.0
For one person or thing, not shared with others
∞
3.5
The only one of its kind
289
1.0
The only one of its kind with no equal
66
3.6
Only one thing or person like it exists
34
5.6
The only one of its kind
Antonyms
How Unique
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the only one' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'one' (a single unit) with 'only' (indicating uniqueness), with 'and' serving as a simple connector/emphatic linker. This compositional pattern follows normal English semantics and is immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
One and only comes from the simple image of a single person or thing that stands alone, clearly one and only in a room or on a stage so everyone notices them. That's why it means 'unique' or 'the only one'.