onus
Americannoun
plural
onuses-
a difficult or disagreeable obligation, task, burden, etc.
- Synonyms:
- load, duty, weight, responsibility
-
burden of proof.
-
blame or responsibility.
noun
Etymology
Origin of onus
1630–40; < Latin: load, burden
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The onus is on employers to make sure they are not leaving talent underdeveloped.”
From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026
An Anthropic spokeswoman said the change is intended to help the company compete with several rivals against an uneven policy backdrop that puts the onus on companies to make their own judgments about safeguards.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
Families can spend hundreds of pounds per child on school uniform and PE kit and the new law places the onus on all schools to ensure families pay less.
From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026
Otherwise, the onus is on individual consumers to find concerning practices and try to opt out.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026
Under the Sabotage Law, the onus was on the defense to prove the accused innocent.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
