ont-
variant of onto- before a vowel.
ont-
1 American
-ont
2
American
Ont.
3
American
abbreviation
Ont.
British
abbreviation
Usage
What does ont- mean? Ont- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “being.” It is occasionally used in technical terms, especially in philosophy. The form ont- comes from Greek ṓn, meaning “being.” The Latin equivalents are ēns, ent- and essent- “being,” which are the sources of entity and essence. Ont- is a variant of onto-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. When used as a suffix at the end of a word, ont- becomes -ont, as in diplont. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for onto- and -ont.
What does -ont mean? The combining form -ont is used like a suffix to mean “being.” It is very occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology. The form -ont comes from Greek ṓn, meaning “being.” The Latin equivalents are ēns, ent- and essent- “being,” which are the sources of entity and essence. When used as a prefix at the beginning of a word, -ont becomes ont- or onto-, as in ontogeny or ontic. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for ont- and onto-.
Etymology
Origin of -ont
< Greek -ont stem of ṓn “being,” present participle of eînai “to be” ( cf. onto- ( def. ))
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.
See Examples For:
The future participle active is formed by -ont.
From International Language Past, Present and Future: With Specimens of Esperanto and Grammar by Walter John Clark
They are formed in the Active by means of the endings -ant, -int, and -ont, and in the Passive by means of the endings -at, -it, -ot, with the addition of the adjectival termination -a.
From Esperanto Self-Taught with Phonetic Pronunciation by William W. Mann
Proponents of involuntary treatments, like Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton, Ont., claim “the old approach isn’t working.”
From Salon ● Nov. 17, 2024
Stellantis has said that starting in 2024 it will spend $2.8 billion to retool the Brampton, Ont. factory that builds the Charger and Challenger to assemble vehicles that "support the company's electrification plans."
From Reuters ● Aug. 15, 2022
He studied music and drama at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., and began making movie shorts.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2022
Toymaker Hasbro Inc. will buy Entertainment One Ltd., the Toronto, Ont. based owner of the popular animated series, for about $4 billion -- marking its biggest acquisition ever, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2019
London, Ont., in Scotland, and brought to America last year.
From Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56: No. 12, March 22, 1884 A Weekly Journal for the Farm, Orchard and Fireside by Various
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.
