onto

¹

[on-too, awn-, on-tuh, awn-]

preposition

1. to a place or position on; upon; on.

   to get onto a horse.

2. Informal.,  in or into a state of awareness about.

   I'm onto your scheme.

adjective

1. Mathematics.,  Also pertaining to a function or map from one set to another set, the range of which is the entire second set.

onto-

²

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

   ontogeny.

onto

¹

/ ˈɒntə, ˈɒntʊ /

preposition

1. to a position that is on

   step onto the train as it passes

2. having become aware of (something illicit or secret)

   the police are onto us

3. into contact with

   get onto the factory

onto-

²

combining form

1. existence or being

   ontogeny

   ontology

Usage

Onto is now generally accepted as a word in its own right. On to is still used, however, where on is considered to be part of the verb: he moved on to a different town as contrasted with he jumped onto the stage

Word History and Origins

Origin of onto¹

First recorded in 1575–85; on + to

Origin of onto²

< New Latin < Greek ont- (stem of ón, neuter present participle of eînai to be) + -o- -o-

Word History and Origins

Origin of onto¹

from Late Greek, from ōn (stem ont- ) being, present participle of einai to be

Example Sentences

I do remember collapsing onto my bed as soon as the last guest left, and eating the leftovers in a kind of stunned bliss for the next week.

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Mine starts with me brushing cornmeal onto a batch of English muffins at 4 a.m. and ends with me swearing off brunch for at least six years.

Read more on Salon

Products being shot that day are loaded onto a trolley and carted up to the park.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Starlink -- which is not licensed in Myanmar -- did not have enough traffic to make it onto the list of the country's internet providers before February.

Read more on Barron's

As Tina walks onto the stage in front of hundreds of people she is beaming.

Read more on BBC

When To Use

What does onto- mean?

Onto- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “being.” It is occasionally used in technical terms, especially in philosophy.The form onto- comes from Greek ṓn, meaning “being.” The Latin equivalents are ēns, ent- and essent- “being,” which are the sources of entity and essence.What are variants of onto-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, onto- becomes ont-, as in ontic. When used as a suffix at the end of a word, onto- becomes -ont, as in diplont. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for ont- and -ont.