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

The pickup truck was traveling west on Victory Avenue and making a right turn onto northbound Stockton Boulevard when the driver felt an impact on the right side of the truck, CHP Officer Michael Harper of the South Sacramento office said. — Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026

Republicans are desperate to hold onto at least one chamber of the state Legislature as a block against a Democratic monopoly in Lansing. — Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026

Trump has turned his gaze back to the capital as Republicans face a steep climb to hang onto their congressional majorities, with voters unhappy about the Iran war and the economy. — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026

And earlier this year, scientists at Pennsylvania State University developed a novel conductive ink that can be painted directly onto the skin in colorful custom designs, turning into a functional electrode for biomonitoring after drying. — ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026

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