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

And Just Like That is certainly piling onto their problems by throwing over 300 miles of separation, a troubled teen, and incompatible texting styles into the mix. —Megan McCluskey, Time, 20 June 2025

Under the new legislation, the state could broaden its investigations to local governments that haven’t signed onto its efforts. —Skyler Swisher, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2025

Andersen had reportedly hoped to apply for a visa to Afghanistan in Tehran, with ambitions of crossing into Central Asia and onto Russia. —Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025

This week large inflatables were blown onto one of Atlanta’s busiest roadways. —Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025

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