1
[Latin — more at onerous]
b
: a disagreeable necessity : obligation
c
: blame
d
: stigma
2
[New Latin onus (probandi), literally, burden of proving] : burden of proof
put forth a theory that left the onus squarely on him

Did you know?

Understanding the etymology of onus shouldn’t be a burden; it’s as simple as knowing that English borrowed the word—spelling, meaning, and all—from Latin in the 17th century. Onus is also a distant relative of the Sanskrit word anas, meaning cart (as in, a wheeled wagon or vehicle that carries a burden). English isn’t exactly loaded with words that come from Latin onus, but onerous (“difficult and unpleasant to do or deal with”) is one, which is fitting since in addition to being synonymous with “burden,” onus has also long been used to refer to obligations and responsibilities that one may find annoying, taxing, disagreeable, or distasteful.

Examples of onus in a Sentence

Consumers should be able to limit the use of information beyond what's essential to complete a transaction. There are two principal ways to do this: Web sites can permit them to "opt in," or explicitly grant advance permission to share information. Or they can put the onus on consumers to "opt out" if they don't want information shared. Consumer Reports, May 2000
These laws got the regulatory ball rolling, but the onus was on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that additives were safe. Amy Rosenbaum Clark, Vegetarian Times, March 1995
It is not the scions of Yale and Harvard who apply to become FBI agents and construction workers and civil servants and cops who bear the onus of this reverse discrimination. Thomas B. Edsall, Washington Post, 9-15 Mar. 1992
hoping to avoid the onus of failure by lowering expectations ahead of time he perpetually tries to shift the onus for any mistakes onto other team members
Recent Examples on the Web People tend to put a lot more onus and responsibility on a platform for its output. Lauren Goode, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2024 Implying that the United States and Taiwan must shoulder the onus of assurance serves only to legitimize China’s preferred narrative that Beijing is blameless while others are responsible for damaging cross-strait relations. Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 That sweeping law seeks to phase out single-use plastics through a policy concept known as Extended Producer Responsibility, which shifts the onus of waste from consumers, towns and cities to companies manufacturing products with environmental impacts. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 Teams that work remotely can perform well, but the onus is on busy managers to have the time, skills, and confidence to support teams through these phases. Anna Shields, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 But the strength displayed by the uncommitted effort has certainly elevated the war in Gaza as a campaign issue, putting the onus on the White House to respond. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2024 The onus is both political and the personal The challenge, in Woods’ mind, is reframing the cost as necessary on both a corporate and personal level, rather than a nice-to-have. Jane Thier, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 The onus is on us as organizations that are serving this fan base to make these services so convenient, so compelling, and so competitive that the fans will choose to move to these official sources rather than pirate. Nick Statt, The Verge, 26 Feb. 2024 Rather than blame her — because the onus is on both of you as to how your relationship plays out — speak to her without judgment. Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'onus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of onus was in 1626

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near onus

Cite this Entry

“Onus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onus. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on onus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!