Word.ws English Dictionary

look for number one

look for number one is the alternative form of look out for number one.

Meaning of look out for number one

Verb

look out for number one (third-person singular simple present looks out for number one, present participle looking out for number one, simple past and past participle looked out for number one)

  1. (idiomatic) To act in one's own interests; to act in a manner advantageous primarily to oneself.
    • S.—Ah—get out. Look out for number one—that's my doctrine; and let others do the same;—and if they don't, why, the flats must be contented with being gulled—that's all. It is n't my look-out, if a man does n't know enough, or does n't think enough, or is n't careful enough: if I can shave him a...1833, George Washington Light, “Sketches of Character: A Schemer”, in The Essayist: A Young Men's Magazine, volume 1, G.W. Light & Company, page 318

Forms of look for number one

third-person singular presentlooks for number one
present participlelooking for number one
past participlelooked for number one
pastlooked for number one

Questions about look for number one

What is look for number one the alternative form of?
Look for number one is the alternative form of look out for number one.

Words near look for number one in the dictionary

  1. look down on
  2. look down one's nose
  3. look down upon
  4. look for
  5. look for a dog to kick
  6. look for number one
  7. look for trouble
  8. look forward to
  9. look fun
  10. look funn
  11. look here

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: look for number one (page history and authors); look out for number one (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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