onto

¹ American  

[on-too, awn-, on-tuh, awn-] / ˈɒn tu, ˈɔn-, ˈɒn tə, ˈɔn- /

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.

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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 American  

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

   ontogeny.

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onto ¹ British  

/ 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

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onto- ² British  

combining form

1. existence or being

   ontogeny

   ontology

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of onto¹

First recorded in 1575–85; on + to

Origin of onto-²

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

Compare meaning

How does onto compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• onto vs. one-to-one
• unto vs. onto

Example Sentences

But there is a longtime tendency, not just in L.A., to apply a whole series of admittedly desirable public policy objectives onto affordable housing because the government is involved.

From Los Angeles Times

Optimists might say, “Why pick one extreme or the other? There’s surely a place in the middle, where we can all live in harmony while holding onto our opinions and sense of self.”

From Los Angeles Times

BP will hold onto a 35% stake in Castrol, which it first took control of in 2000.

From BBC

For years, chipmakers pushed back against the memory wall by shrinking transistors, the tiny switches that handle computations and store data, and packing more of them onto each chip.

From Science Daily

The Lakers fell behind by as many as 29 in the third quarter, and Redick quietly waved the white flag with 5:22 remaining in the third when he put reserve forward Maxi Kleber and rookie Adou Thiero onto the floor.

From Los Angeles Times