2
: beginning, commencement
the onset of winter
the onset of age-related diseases
Synonyms
Examples of onset in a Sentence
the walls withstood the onset of the first battalion
the claim that if you take enough vitamin C at the onset of a cold, you'll often recover faster
Recent Examples on the Web
That average age of onset for the disease is in an individual’s early 60s.
—
Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Madeleine Parrish Years after the onset of the pandemic, Arizona's elementary and middle schoolers are still missing class at much higher rates than before COVID-19 hit.
—The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024
Compounding the problem is the average delay of 11 years between the onset of a mental health condition and its diagnosis.
—Wendy Ward, STAT, 10 Apr. 2024
Inflammation may be a major factor in the onset of diabetes.
—Elizabeth Woolley, Verywell Health, 9 Apr. 2024
In the teaser, Riley deals with the beginning of high school and onset of new emotions, including anxiety, boredom, jealousy and embarrassment.
—Jillian Pretzel, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
Restaurants that closed in March Apocalypse Burger 115 E. 49th St., closed March 9
Won’t Stop Hospitality Inc opened Apocalypse Burger as a short-term pop-up during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—The Indianapolis Star, 1 Apr. 2024
The auto industry began to recover to more-normal inventories last year, after an acute shortage of new vehicles since the onset of the pandemic, and a shortage of computer chips and other parts-supply problems.
—Jim Henry, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Many office workers made the shift to remote work at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Madeleine Parrish Years after the onset of the pandemic, Arizona's elementary and middle schoolers are still missing class at much higher rates than before COVID-19 hit.
—The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024
Compounding the problem is the average delay of 11 years between the onset of a mental health condition and its diagnosis.
—Wendy Ward, STAT, 10 Apr. 2024
Inflammation may be a major factor in the onset of diabetes.
—Elizabeth Woolley, Verywell Health, 9 Apr. 2024
In the teaser, Riley deals with the beginning of high school and onset of new emotions, including anxiety, boredom, jealousy and embarrassment.
—Jillian Pretzel, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
Restaurants that closed in March Apocalypse Burger 115 E. 49th St., closed March 9
Won’t Stop Hospitality Inc opened Apocalypse Burger as a short-term pop-up during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—The Indianapolis Star, 1 Apr. 2024
The auto industry began to recover to more-normal inventories last year, after an acute shortage of new vehicles since the onset of the pandemic, and a shortage of computer chips and other parts-supply problems.
—Jim Henry, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Many office workers made the shift to remote work at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'onset.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near onset
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onset. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
onset
noun
on·set
ˈȯn-ˌset 
ˈän-
Medical Definition
onset
noun
on·set
ˈȯn-ˌset, ˈän-
: the initial existence or symptoms of a disease
the onset of scarlet fever
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