Meaning & Definition of word "Onset"

Onset

/ˈɒn.sɛt/

noun:

  • 1. The beginning or start of something, especially something unpleasant.
    • Example: The onset of winter brought heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures.
  • 2. The initial stage or commencement of a process.
    • Example: The doctor noted the onset of symptoms that indicated a viral infection.
  • 3. In linguistics, the initial consonant or consonants of a syllable.
    • Example: In the word 'cat', the onset is the 'c' sound.

Etymology

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

Common Phrases and Expressions

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.

Related Words

commencement:

the beginning of something.

initiation:

the action of beginning or starting something.

inception:

the establishment or starting point of an institution or activity.

Slang Meanings of onset

Meaning: The starting point of a trend or phase.

Example Sentence: That party was the onset of the summer fun.

Meaning: When something starts happening unexpectedly.

Example Sentence: The onset of drama during the school year was wild.