onesuch

Onenessuch is a term primarily encountered in English literature and historical prose, where it denotes “the one of that kind” or “the very person or thing” being discussed. In modern usage, the more common form is the two-word phrase one such, used to point to an example or instance of a described kind. The one-word form is rare today and is typically found in older texts, rhetorical writing, or as a stylistic or archaisms.

Etymology and history suggest that onesuch arises from a straightforward combination of the pronoun one and the determiner such, functioning as a compound that emphasizes uniqueness or exactness within a class. Its prominence was greater in Early Modern English and nineteenth-century prose, where compound nouns and formal diction were more routine. In contemporary writing, the two-word construction one such is preferred for clarity, while the single-word form appears mainly in quotations, scholarly discussion of language history, or as a deliberate stylistic choice.

Usage notes indicate that onesuch is most often encountered in evaluative or illustrative contexts. For example, modern writers would typically say one such example or one such instance rather than rely on the noun form onesuch. When used, the word tends to lend a formal, antique, or ceremonial tone to the sentence. In current branding or product naming, some entities stylistically reuse onesuch to evoke uniqueness or tradition, though this is not tied to standard grammar.

See also: one such, suchness, one-of-a-kind, unique.