onus

noun

ˈō-nəs 

1

[Latin — more at onerous]

a

: burden entry 1

b

: a disagreeable necessity : obligation

c

: blame

d

: stigma

2

[New Latin onus (probandi), literally, burden of proving] : burden of proof

put forth a theory that left the onus squarely on him

Did you know?

Understanding the etymology of onus shouldn’t be a burden; it’s as simple as knowing that English borrowed the word—spelling, meaning, and all—from Latin in the 17th century. Onus is also a distant relative of the Sanskrit word anas, meaning cart (as in, a wheeled wagon or vehicle that carries a burden). English isn’t exactly loaded with words that come from Latin onus, but onerous (“difficult and unpleasant to do or deal with”) is one, which is fitting since in addition to being synonymous with “burden,” onus has also long been used to refer to obligations and responsibilities that one may find annoying, taxing, disagreeable, or distasteful.

Synonyms

• stain
• stigma
• taint
• guilt
• blot
• shame

Examples of onus in a Sentence

Consumers should be able to limit the use of information beyond what's essential to complete a transaction. There are two principal ways to do this: Web sites can permit them to "opt in," or explicitly grant advance permission to share information. Or they can put the onus on consumers to "opt out" if they don't want information shared. —Consumer Reports, May 2000

These laws got the regulatory ball rolling, but the onus was on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that additives were safe. —Amy Rosenbaum Clark, Vegetarian Times, March 1995

It is not the scions of Yale and Harvard who apply to become FBI agents and construction workers and civil servants and cops who bear the onus of this reverse discrimination. —Thomas B. Edsall, Washington Post, 9-15 Mar. 1992

hoping to avoid the onus of failure by lowering expectations ahead of time

he perpetually tries to shift the onus for any mistakes onto other team members

Recent Examples on the Web

In speaking to various people involved in running awards campaigns, the preference seems to have been for an FYC calendar similar to Phase I, where the onus was on them to organize events. —Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2025

Replacing Postecoglou, who proved his European chops by taking Spurs all the way in the Europa League last term, the onus is on the Dane to make Tottenham competitive in the Champions League this season. —Liam Tharme, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2025

First, in the workplace, much of the onus for transforming harmful cultures falls on employees from underrepresented racial groups. —Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025

The ban puts the onus on social media platforms to prevent children under 16 from having an account on their sites, or risk fines of nearly 50 million Australian dollars ($32 million). —Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 30 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for onus

• bonis
• bonus
• clonus
• conus
• cronus
• jonas
• lowness
• slowness
• tonus
• colonus
• coregonus
• dendroctonus

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