onboarding

American

[on-bawr-ding, awn-] / ˈɒnˌbɔr dɪŋ, ˈɔn- /

noun

the process of preparing a new employee to do their job and adapt to company culture, by providing information, tools, mentorship, etc.
the process of digitizing and uploading customer data collected offline, typically to improve the results of personalized data-driven marketing.

The onboarding of our customers’ identifying information will enhance our digital audience profiles.

Etymology

Origin of onboarding

First recorded in 1985–90

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.

These products have grown in popularity due to their relative transparency, simplified onboarding and 1099 tax reporting.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

The small, informal team of volunteers spends upwards of 12 hours daily answering calls, matching community members to care, and onboarding the professionals.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

And yet, it also showed that I had accepted a final job offer and that my onboarding status was “EOD”—Entered On Duty, the start of an enlistment period.

From Slate • Jan. 13, 2026

The company plans to use AI in sales enablement and client onboarding, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 2025

I was visualizing my new startup job in sunny Manhattan Beach, thinking through onboarding and first impressions.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 4, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023