Dictionary.com

onus

[ oh-nuhs ]
/ ˈoʊ nəs /
See synonyms for onus on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural o·nus·es.

a difficult or disagreeable obligation, task, burden, etc.
burden of proof.Compare onus probandi.
blame or responsibility.

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Origin of onus

1630–40; <Latin: load, burden

Words nearby onus

“On Top of Old Smoky”, on top of the world, on-trend, on trial, Onuf's nucleus, onus, onus probandi, on view, onward, “Onward Christian Soldiers”, onwards
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to onus

load, duty, encumbrance, weight, culpability, tax, millstone, incubus, stigma, blot, charge, blur, responsibility, stain, oppression, odium, slur, brand, spot, liability

Example sentences from the Web for onus

British Dictionary definitions for onus

onus
/ (ˈəʊnəs) /

noun plural onuses

a responsibility, task, or burden

Word Origin for onus

C17: from Latin: burden
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012