many-to-one
|ma/ny/to/one|
🇺🇸
/ˌmɛni tə ˈwʌn/ or /ˌmɛni tuː ˈwʌn/
🇬🇧
/ˌmɛni tə ˈwʌn/
multiple → single mapping
Etymology
'many-to-one' originates from English as a compound of 'many' + 'to' + 'one', where 'many' meant 'numerous' and 'one' meant 'single'.
'many-to-one' developed as a technical compound phrase (often as 'many-to-one correspondence' or 'many-to-one mapping') in mathematical and logical writing from the 19th and 20th centuries and was later used more broadly in computing and data contexts.
Initially used specifically in mathematics to describe correspondences, it has broadened to general use in computer science, data modeling, and everyday descriptions of relationships where multiple items map to a single item.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a mapping or correspondence in which many items correspond to one item (often used in mathematics, computer science, and data modeling).
The database has a many-to-one between orders and customers: many orders can belong to a single customer.
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Adjective 1
describing a relation or function in which multiple distinct inputs correspond to a single output (e.g., a many-to-one mapping).
We observed a many-to-one relationship between student IDs and advisor offices.
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Last updated: 2025/12/28 00:19