ont-

¹

1. variant of onto- before a vowel.

-ont

²

1. a combining form meaning “being,” used in the formation of compound words.

   diplont,

   haplont.

Ont.

³

abbreviation

1. Ontario.

Ont.

abbreviation

1. Ontario

Word History and Origins

Origin of ont-¹

< Greek -ont stem of ṓn “being,” present participle of eînai “to be” ( onto- ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

ONT Field is expected to hold 6,500 — but with 3,200 seats between the foul poles, and the rest wherever you prefer: in the outfield, on the grass, in picnic areas, on a playground, or in bars, clubs and suites, including a couple where you can converse with the players.

From Los Angeles Times

Crews work on the construction of ONT Field in Ontario last month.

From Los Angeles Times

Proponents of involuntary treatments, like Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton, Ont., claim “the old approach isn’t working.”

From Salon

Lavallee said a CC-130H Hercules aircraft travelled to the site from Calgary, Alberta and a CC-130J Hercules was sent from Trenton, Ont.

From Seattle Times

The jury also convicted Nathaniel Veltman, 22, guilty of one count of attempted murder for injuring a fifth family member in the incident in London, Ont.

From Seattle Times

When To Use

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.

When To Use

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-.