onset

[ on-set, awn- ]

/ ˈɒnˌsɛt, ˈɔn- /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for onset on Thesaurus.com

noun

a beginning or start: the onset of winter.

an assault or attack: an onset of the enemy.

Phonetics. the segment of a syllable preceding the nucleus, as the gr in great.Compare coda (def. 5), core¹ (def. 14).

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of onset

1525–35; on + set, after the verb phrase set on

Words nearby onset

on schedule, on-screen, on-seam, on-season, on second thought, onset, onshore, onshoring, onside, onside kick, on sight

How to use onset in a sentence

As CO2 levels began to climb past 280 parts per million following the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1700s, the oxygen-18 values also began to rise, with corresponding sea ice decreases.
Bering Sea winter ice shrank to its lowest level in 5,500 years in 2018|Carolyn Gramling|September 3, 2020|Science News
Indeed, some advertisers like Burberry are due to restart global reviews that were postponed at the onset of the coronavirus crisis, while others like Unilever are long overdue one.
‘It’s more transformational’: For the third time in five years, advertisers will launch a mediapalooza of account reviews|Seb Joseph|September 2, 2020|Digiday
At the onset of the pandemic, Jalbert says, it was largely assumed in the industry that housing would slump or crash.
‘Severe lumber shortage’ is adding $14,000 to the cost of a new home|Lance Lambert|August 31, 2020|Fortune
The firm, and by extension the city, learned in the process what they should have known from the onset — and what the building’s former tenant, Sempra Energy, had already told the public.
City Botched High-Rise Deal from Acquisition to Renovation, Investigation Finds|Jesse Marx and Lisa Halverstadt|July 30, 2020|Voice of San Diego

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Africa has seen lower numbers of cases and death compared with other continents, on a “per million” basis.
The pandemic’s spread across Africa is being tempered by a young population, for now|Uwagbale Edward-Ekpu|July 9, 2020|Quartz
I was never sure whether this was phlegm or the onset of lunacy.
Why Can’t Movies Capture Genius?|Clive Irving|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Believe it or not, a break at the onset of mild cramps may let you play in the game for longer.
A Lesson From LeBron James’ Game One Nightmare|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The adults then burn one down but realize drugs are less fun with the onset of parental responsibilities.
‘Silicon Valley’ and the Return of Stoner Television|Rich Goldstein|April 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Phillips did return to the show two seasons later, but was fired in the ninth season after collapsing onset.
How Awkward Will Isaiah Washington’s Return to ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Be?|Marina Watts|March 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He remembers how confused and scared people were by the onset of AIDS.
Matthew McConaughey In ‘Dallas Buyers Club’: From Bongos to Oscar Contender|Marlow Stern|October 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Instantly the Clydesdale men mounted and formed to meet the expected onset.
Hunted and Harried|R.M. Ballantyne
He was wonderful in his brilliant, undismayed enthusiasm, as he followed the reckless charge, the shining onset of the talents.
The Creators|May Sinclair
Lannes, who had simultaneously made a final onset, was also beaten off by the superior force of his enemy.
The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte|William Milligan Sloane
It was like some change in the cycle of nature, like the onset of spring—a sharp brightness, an uneasiness.
The New Machiavelli|Herbert George Wells
This onset boded destruction to herself and all her friends; above all, to him she loved best.
Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker Among The Turks|Bracebridge Hemyng

British Dictionary definitions for onset

onset

/ (ˈɒnˌsɛt) /

noun

an attack; assault

a start; beginning

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

onset

COMPARE MEANINGS

Origin of onset

Words nearby onset

Words related to onset

How to use onset in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for onset