onset

noun

on·​set ˈȯn-ˌset 

ˈän-

1

: attack, assault

withstand the onset of the army

2

: beginning, commencement

the onset of winter

the onset of age-related diseases

Synonyms

• aggression
• assault
• attack
• attempt
• blitz
• blitzkrieg
• charge
• coup de main
• descent
• offense
• offence
• offensive
• onslaught
• raid
• rush
• strike

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

Children can get puberty blockers to treat early onset puberty, but not as a treatment for gender dysphoria. —arkansasonline.com, 5 Dec. 2024

The two illnesses are both contagious and feature similar symptoms, but are caused by different viruses and can have different onset periods, the CDC said. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 2 Dec. 2024

He’d reportedly been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s six years before his death Friday. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 2 Dec. 2024

The actor died in Los Angeles at the Motion Picture and Television Woodland Hills Home on Friday, Nov. 29, six years after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, according to a statement obtained by PEOPLE. —Toria Sheffield, People.com, 1 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing onset

• adult-onset diabetes
• juvenile-onset diabetes

Kids Definition

onset

noun

on·​set ˈȯn-ˌset 

ˈän-

1

: attack entry 2 sense 1

2

: beginning sense 1

Medical Definition

onset

noun

on·​set ˈȯn-ˌset, ˈän- 

: the initial existence or symptoms of a disease

the onset of scarlet fever