Onset

/ˈɒn.sɛt/

Meaning & Definition

noun

The beginning or start of something, especially something unpleasant.

The onset of winter brought heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures.

The initial stage or commencement of a process.

The doctor noted the onset of symptoms that indicated a viral infection.

In linguistics, the initial consonant or consonants of a syllable.

In the word 'cat', the onset is the 'c' sound.

Middle English 'onsetten', from 'on' + 'setten' (to set).

onset of winter

the beginning of the winter season.

onset of symptoms

the first appearance of symptoms of a disease.

onset of a problem

the beginning or occurrence of a problem.

commencement

the beginning of something.

initiation

the action of beginning or starting something.

inception

the establishment or starting point of an institution or activity.

The starting point of a trend or phase.

That party was the onset of the summer fun.

When something starts happening unexpectedly.

The onset of drama during the school year was wild.