Do you know the definition of onus? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word onus, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

What does the word onus mean?

According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word onus is a noun that means a duty or responsibility. This is often used in the phrase “the onus is on” which means a responsibility is on a person or thing to do something. If the onus is on a landlord to get plumbing fixed, that means it is their responsibility, and not the tenant’s. The word onus is two syllabus – o-nus, and the pronunciation of onus is ˈəʊnəs. The plural of onus is onuses.

There are many different languages that also use words that mean onus. You may notice that many of these words look similar to one another. This is likely because they have a common origin. Often, languages that have a common language of origin, like Latin or Greek, will contain many cognates, which are words that look, sound, and mean similar things. This list of translations of onus is provided by Word Sense.

French: obligation‎ (fem.)
Hungarian: kötelezettség‎
Ukrainian: зобов’язання‎
Georgian: ვალდებულება‎
Danish: pligt‎ (common)
Spanish: comprometerse‎
Finnish: sitoutuminen‎
Arabic: وَاجِب‎ (masc.)
Czech: závazek‎ (masc.)
Mandarin: 義務‎, 义务‎ (yìwù), 責任‎, 责任‎ (zérèn)
Romanian: obligare‎ (fem.), obligație‎
Russian: обяза́тельство‎ (neut.), долг‎ (masc.)
Portuguese: obrigação‎ (fem.)
Greek: υποχρέωση‎ (fem.)
Belarusian: абавяза́цельства‎ (neut.), абавя́зак‎ (masc.)
Swedish: skyldighet‎ (common)
Vietnamese: nghĩa vụ‎ (義務‎)
Japanese: 義務‎ (ぎむ, gimu), 責任‎ (せきにん, sekinin)
Irish: oibleagáid‎ (fem.)
German: Verpflichtung‎ (fem.), Pflicht‎ (fem.)
Korean: 의무‎ (義務‎)
Scottish Gaelic: comain‎ (fem.), còir‎ (fem.)
Tagalog: harapin‎

What is the origin of the word onus?

According to Etymonline, the word onus comes from the Latin onus which is a word that means load or burden Figuratively, this was used to mean a tax, expense, trouble or difficulty. This comes from the PIE root en-es, which is also the source of Sanskrit anah meaning cart or wagon. This then spurred the Legal Latin onus probandi meaning burden of proof or the task of proving what has been alleged. The word onus has been used in the English language since the 1640s in the 17th century.

What are synonyms and antonyms of onus?

There are many different words that one can use in place of the word onus. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning as another word or phrase. Synonyms are very useful English grammatical devices to know because they can help you to avoid repeating yourself as well as to expand your vocabulary. This list of synonyms for the word onus is provided by Power Thesaurus.

devoir
accountableness
loads
role
weight
commitment
burdened
answerability
baton
hardship
debt
task
strain
obligations
smear
black mark
drag
blameworthiness
trial
impediment
blemish
charge
cumbrance
burden of proof
difficulty
stain
cross
encumbrance
tax
culpability
boundness
liability
workflow
concern
trouble
reproach
albatross
dead weight
mantle
amenability
burdens
accusation
smirch
burden
impedimenta
duty
payload
loaded
blame
guiltiness
loading
load
burthen
disadvantage
blot
shipment
responsibility
taint
slur
assignment
mantles
affliction
bar sinister
accountability
attaint
deadweight
commission
spot
call
hindrance
imposition
mark of cain
black eye
requirement
incubus
odium
cargo
consignment
freight
stigma
obligation
pressure
brand
millstone
function
fault
worry
guilt
indebtedness
tarnish
care
white elephant
call of duty
aspersion
ought
blur
incumbrance
reflection
brunt
ordeal

There are also many different words that mean the opposite of the word onus. These opposite words are called antonyms. Antonyms are also useful to know if you are trying to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms is also provided by Power Thesaurus.

help
beer and skittles
forfeit
irresponsibility
lack of commitment
freedom
impassiveness
earnings
unburden
disorientation
exoneration
ready money
consider
blank
advantage
praise
aid
irresponsibleness
exculpation
blanket of indifference

How can the word onus be used in a sentence?

The word onus can be used in many different ways in the English language. Using words in a sentence is a great way to learn their definitions. You can also try making flashcards or quizzes to test your knowledge of the definitions of different English language words. Try using this word in a sentence today! Several examples of onus are below to help get you started.

The onus was on the person who caused the offense to apologize and make it right. They are the owner of the responsibility for their own behavior and must make the whole thing right.

The team members had a legal obligation to complete workplace safety training, and the onus of proof lies on their ability to complete the safety tasks.

The prosecution put the onus of the disagreement on the parties themselves. The civil case did not need to be elevated to the court level. The judge was frustrated at the waste of time.

The onus was on the student to reveal to his teacher that he had cheated. No one else knew, but the guilt was eating away at him and he knew he had to tell the truth. When he told her, she was very disappointed but allowed him to retake the test on his own because he fessed up.

The lower-income Americans bore the majority of the onus for the economic downturn, though they were unable to do anything to stop it. They found a real challenge when they received hardly any tax refund and the burden of responsibility was left on them, not the businesses.

Overall, the word onus means an obligation, duty or responsibility. This word is of Legal Latin origins.

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Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.