ナンバーワン

ナ

ン

バ

ー

ワ

ン

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

number one; top-ranked; the best

Katakana noun for the top position or the best person or thing in a group, ranking, sales category, field, etc. Common in everyday speech, sports, business, advertising, and rankings.

彼かれはチームのナンバーワンだ。
He is the team's number one.
この商しょう品ひんは売うり上あげでナンバーワンになった

。

This product became number one in sales.

Written forms

ナンバー・ワン
- ナンバーワン
  Variant spelling with a middle dot separating the two parts; pronounced the same as ナンバーワン.
- ナンバー・ワン

Similar words

一いち番ばん
A native Japanese word meaning 'number one' or 'most'; broader and more basic than ナンバーワン, and often used adverbially as in 一番好き.
トップ
Also means 'top' or 'leading position'; often used for rank, leadership, or the upper/front part, while ナンバーワン more directly emphasizes being ranked first or best.
首しゅ位い
A more formal or news-style word for first place in a ranking or standings; ナンバーワン sounds more casual, promotional, or emphatic.

Etymology

Written in katakana and transparently corresponding to the expression 'number one'; no detailed language-of-origin annotation is specified.