one-off
/wˌʌnˈɔf/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 5.82 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Special; remarkable; rare; unusual.
noun
Something that is done, created, etc. only once, and often quickly, simply, or improvisationally.
noun
Something unique and remarkable.
Example Sentences
- "The government insisted that the embarrassing loss of the tax records was a one-off event."
- "Seeing Halley's Comet is a one-off, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
- "If such a casting was wanted in a hurry — a one-off job — there would be no question of molding it on a machine."
- "Moreover, given that recent measures to cut the deficit have been more one-off than of a structural fiscal nature, meeting this debt target is likely only"
- "A County Fermanagh woman has officiated at the formal registration of the birth of Princess Charlotte at Kensington Palace. It's the second time she's been on royal baby duty at the palace as she previously officiated at the registration of Prince George. She said at the time that it was a "one-off" honour, but that has now been disproved with a repeat visit for Princess Charlotte."
- "In July, South Western Railway and Network Rail ran a one-off Class 159 to Fawley, to demonstrate the line's viability. [...] A second 'fact-finding' trial passenger train for DfT officials is now proposed."
Etymology
From one + off. Probably from foundry work, in which molds are expensive and generally made to be reusable. A term long used by artists who are printmakers and sculptors to indicate a unique print or casting. If using traditional edition numbering, a one-off would be a "1/1", which is said, "one of one" meaning the first print in an edition of one.