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

Once freed from the garbage, she was loaded onto a stretcher and brought to the aquarium.

From Los Angeles Times

The mites' tendency to latch onto juvenile spiders suggests opportunistic behavior, since younger spiders are more exposed to parasites and predators.

From Science Daily

The controller then directed the Mesa plane onto a path that risked a collision, triggering cockpit alarms in both planes.

From Los Angeles Times

Weiss has acknowledged to colleagues that she’s not familiar with the process of moving the assembly line of stories from the assignment stage, through the reporting and editing process and onto a schedule of programs, some of which run 365 days a year.

From Los Angeles Times

When she stepped onto the runway, draped in fabric and confidence, her prosthetic gleaming under the spotlights, the room shifted.

From BBC