onboarding

noun

1
: the act or process of orienting and training a new employee
… good onboarding leads to higher employee engagement and greater retention rates.Joyce E. A. Russell
2
: the act or process of familiarizing a new customer with one's products or services
Customer onboarding primarily involves answering customers' questions and addressing their concerns so they have a smooth, positive experience with your product or service.Aaron Agius
3
: the act or process of converting data to digital form
While many retailers are coming to terms with the need for data onboarding and management, there is still a massive chasm between collecting data and using it to the fullest advantage.Larisa Bedgood
onboard transitive verb
onboarded; onboarding
The workflow chart that was pinned to the wall was an excellent orientation for me, as a new employee, and anyone else being onboarded. Jill Duffy
It's easy to forget how difficult hiring people is and getting them onboarded and effective in their job. Sue Gilbert
Once a customer is onboarded, they can immediately start using the account for remittance payments … Richard Gluyas

Examples of onboarding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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This is easier to pull off with whole-page onboarding checklists that act as a hub to revisit, rather than pop-up-widget checklists. Osman Koc, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Scharf's onboarding comes shortly before the midterm elections, and the possibility that Democrats win back one or both chambers of Congress. Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 Entering the 2026 season, Gildersleeve intended to make the onboarding process more intensive and thorough. Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026 According to Finkelstein, entrepreneurs who use Sidekick during onboarding reach their first five sales more quickly, an important milestone that often determines whether a new business gains traction. Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for onboarding

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of onboarding was in 1988

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Cite this Entry

“Onboarding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onboarding. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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