Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for onto

onto

1

[ on-too, awn-; unstressed on-tuh, awn- ]

preposition

  1. to a place or position on; upon; on:

    to get onto a horse.

  2. Informal. in or into a state of awareness about:

    I'm onto your scheme.



adjective

  1. Also . Mathematics. pertaining to a function or map from one set to another set, the range of which is the entire second set.

onto-

2
  1. a combining form meaning “being,” used in the formation of compound words:

    ontogeny.

onto-

1

combining_form

  1. existence or being

    ontology

    ontogeny

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

onto

2

/ ˈɒntə; ˈɒntʊ /

preposition

  1. to a position that is on

    step onto the train as it passes

  2. having become aware of (something illicit or secret)

    the police are onto us

  3. into contact with

    get onto the factory

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Usage

Onto is now generally accepted as a word in its own right. On to is still used, however, where on is considered to be part of the verb: he moved on to a different town as contrasted with he jumped onto the stage
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of onto1

First recorded in 1575–85; on + to

Origin of onto2

< New Latin < Greek ont- (stem of ón, neuter present participle of eînai to be) + -o- -o-
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of onto1

from Late Greek, from ōn (stem ont- ) being, present participle of einai to be
Discover More

Compare Meanings

How does onto compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Discover More

Example Sentences

In practicality, many importers incur these costs themselves and then pass some of these costs onto consumers so that these businesses can maintain healthy profit margins.

From Salon

More than a quarter of a century later, Foster will step onto that same field Saturday night needing to prove himself anew against another team wearing the loathsome cardinal and gold.

Both men separately stumbled onto the bizarre bacteriophage phenomenon in the 1910s, when the bacteria they were growing mysteriously vanished.

From Salon

A mum with kids requiring refrigerated medicines for cancer rang up with her voice cracking because she could not afford her £5 prepayment top-up and asked to be put onto a credit direct debit.

From BBC

She suffered multiple injuries when she fell forwards onto the floor and she died days later in hospital.

From BBC

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


on tiptoeonto function