onside

American  

[on-sahyd, awn-] / ˈɒnˈsaɪd, ˈɔn- /

adjective

Sports.

1. not offside; being within the prescribed line or area at the beginning of or during play or a play.

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onside British  

/ ˌɒnˈsaɪd /

adjective

1. sport (of a player) in a legal position, as when behind the ball or with a required number of opponents between oneself and the opposing team's goal line

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adjective

1. taking one's part or side; working towards the same goal (esp in the phrase get someone onside ) Compare offside

Etymology

Origin of onside

First recorded in 1840–50; on + side ¹

Example Sentences

She said by hiring a retired gamekeeper they had managed to bring a lot of people onside and shooting estates are now helping to build artificial nests.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

If you come in as a manager and start by winning games, immediately the players are going to be onside.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

Administration officials are also mulling offering lump-sum payments to Greenlanders to buy them onside.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026

However, the VAR official disagreed, ruling that Wirtz was played onside by the narrowest of the margins, even though his foot seemed in an offside position.

From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026

Luma had to teach her team the basics of organized play—how to execute throw-ins, how to stay onside.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John