onus
Americannoun
-
a difficult or disagreeable obligation, task, burden, etc.
- Synonyms:
- load, duty, weight, responsibility
-
burden of proof.
-
blame or responsibility.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of onus
1630–40; < Latin: load, burden
Explanation
Take the noun, onus, as a formal word for responsibility or obligation. If your teacher assigns onus as a vocabulary word, it puts the onus on you to find out what it means. Onus is a formal or sophisticated way to say "responsibility" or "duty." It sounds a little like the unrelated word owner, so think about the person with onus as owner of the responsibility. If the onus is on you to organize a fund raiser, you have to set the whole thing up. Have you ever heard the legal term onus probandi? It means the burden of proof, which requires the accuser to prove the case against the accused.
Vocabulary lists containing onus
100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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The Freedom Writers Diary
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Lifting as We Climb
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Superman” did well, so well that the onus for the DCU’s future fell on “Supergirl.”
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
Most laws today are trying to protect privacy by putting the onus on us.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
The onus is on keeping the focus there.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
The onus is on Raul Jimenez, who has just rejoined Wolves from Fulham, to score their goals but, at 35, he is not the player he was.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Under the Sabotage Law, the onus was on the defense to prove the accused innocent.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
People have a lot of motives for accusing other people of stuff, particularly on campuses where there are not any particular onuses on making an accusation or repercussions.
From Slate ● Dec. 4, 2017
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
