the one

the one (plural the ones)

1. (colloquial) A particularly special or compatible person or thing.

   I knew as soon I met him that John was the one for me and we were married within a month.

   That car's the one — I'll buy it.

   • 1993, Jonas Berggren (lyrics and music), “The Sign”, in The Sign‎, performed by Ace of Base:

     I, I got a new life / You would hardly recognize me, I'm so glad / How could a person like me care for you / Why do I bother / When you're not the one for me / Oo-oo-oo-oo-ooh, is enough, enough

   • 1995, Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen, Robert John "Mutt" Lange (lyrics and music), “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?”, in Don Juan DeMarco: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, performed by Bryan Adams:

     When you love a woman then tell her / That she's really wanted / When you love a woman then tell her that she's the one / 'Cause she needs somebody to tell her / That it's gonna last forever

   • 2017, Halsey, Ricky Reed, Justin Tranter, Rogét Chahayed, “Bad at Love”, in Hopeless Fountain Kingdom‎, performed by Halsey:

     Got a girl with California eyes / And I thought that she could really be the one this time / But I never got the chance to make her mine / Because she fell in love with little thin white lines

   1. (colloquial) A particular person destined to save the universe or world; the chosen one.

      Jesus Christ is the One, the savior.

      He (Neo) is the One.

      They, like me, believe him (Anakin Skywalker) to be The One.

the one (plural the ones)

1. The person or thing.

   Here is the one I want to buy.

   In formal contexts, we can use 'that' and 'those' as substitutes meaning ‘the one(s)’.

• this one