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

That full-length was later released as a standalone set, but not before the fact that it was tacked onto the original helped the decades-old collection become a bestseller all over again. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

After remaining missing for seven months, Rosenthal came onto law enforcement's radar following Gambrel's killing. —Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024

Too Faced Kissing Jelly Non-Sticky Lip Oil Gloss $29 $20 Sephora Lip oil burst onto the scene in 2023, and as 2024 comes to a close, the Too Faced Kissing Jelly Non-Sticky Lip Oil Gloss proves the trend is here to stay. —Annie Blackman, Allure, 2 Dec. 2024

To step onto a red carpet, enveloped in her sculptural, statuesque folds of fabric has become a rite of passage for young stars scaling new heights–the dress functioning as a symbolic on-ramp for the beloved ingénue turned bombshell. —Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 2 Dec. 2024

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