onto

1 of 2

preposition

on·​to ˈȯn-(ˌ)tü 

ˈän-

1

: to a position on

We climbed onto the roof.

Turn left onto Fifth Avenue.

2

: in or into a state of awareness about

put me onto your methods

was onto something that should have been pursued further

—Bosley Crowther

3

—used as a function word to indicate a set each element of which is the image of at least one element of another set

a function mapping the set S onto the set T

onto

2 of 2

adjective

: mapping elements in such a way that every element in one set is the image of at least one element in another set

a function that is one-to-one and onto

Examples of onto in a Sentence

Preposition

We climbed onto the building's roof.

The book fell onto the floor.

The water spilled onto the floor.

The cowboy leaped onto his horse.

Transfer the data onto a disk.

Turn left onto Third Street at the traffic light.

Recent Examples on the Web

Preposition

A day after the arrest of man who carried a rifle onto Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Fla., Trump also recalled the near-assassination of July 13 in Butler, Pa., when a bullet nicked his ear and drew blood. —David Jackson, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2024

Farnsworth accused the man of choking him and shoving him onto a stairway at their home. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 16 Sep. 2024

These buildable formulas melt onto your skin and leave behind a natural-looking, dewy wash of warmth—no streakiness or orange hues included. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 16 Sep. 2024

The collison caused the bus to spin 180 degrees and roll onto its side before sliding into the ditch, according to the sheriff. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Preposition

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1942, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing onto

• build onto
• fasten onto
• get on/onto the subject of
• get onto
• give onto
• latch onto
• lock onto
• map onto
• onto something
• project onto
• stumble across/on/onto/upon
• voted on/onto

Kids Definition

onto

preposition

on·​to

ˌȯn-tə,

ˌän-;

ˈȯn-tü,

ˈän-

1

: to a position on or against

leaped onto the horse

climbed onto the roof

2

: in a state of knowing about or becoming aware of

I'm onto their little game