: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
More precisely, Mitchell arrived a day after that trade had to be restructured, with Mitchell the plus-one component landing from the Toronto Raptors with the Heat instead of former Heat forward P.J. Tucker. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2025 The survey found close friends, family, and wedding party members spent around $160, while casual friends spent $140, and plus-ones spent $120 on gifts. Rachel Barber, USA Today, 6 July 2025 There’s more lightweight dress deals to explore at Amazon right now, including a gorgeous halter-top maxi dress that makes the perfect plus-one fit for a wedding and a casual floral pull-on under $20. Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 July 2025 Still, the messenger turned out to be the perfect plus-one for a dinner at Le Jardinier New York. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 27 June 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plus-one.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plus-one. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!