Meaning & use
on-board or onboard
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
On a ship, plane, train, or other vehicle.
Grammar: Used after a verb such as be, get, or come: We got on board. It is not used before a noun in this literal sense.
Patterns
- be on board
- get on board
- come on board
All passengers are now on board the plane.
We got on board just before the ferry left.
There were only a few people on board the bus.
adjectivebefore a noun
Available or built into a vehicle, ship, or aircraft.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: onboard entertainment, onboard computer. The two-word form is less common here.
Patterns
- onboard equipment
- onboard computer
- onboard entertainment
The onboard entertainment system has hundreds of films.
The ship's onboard doctor treated the injured sailor.
They checked the onboard computer before takeoff.
adjectiveafter a verbinformal
Agreeing with a plan or willing to take part in something.
Grammar: Often used after be or get: Are you on board with the new plan?
Patterns
- be on board with something
- get someone on board
The whole team is on board with the new schedule.
We need to get the manager on board before we start.
She wasn't on board at first, but she agreed after the meeting.
verbtransitivebusiness
To train and prepare a new employee or member to join an organization.
Grammar: Takes an object: onboard new staff. Usually written as one word in this business sense.
Patterns
- onboard someone
- onboard new employees
The company onboards about twenty new staff every month.
It takes a week to onboard a new intern properly.
We onboard remote workers using online videos.
Word forms
| third person singular | onboards |
|---|---|
| past tense | onboarded |
| past participle | onboarded |
| -ing form | onboarding |
Common combinations
- get on board
- Hurry up and get on board — the train is leaving.
- be on board with
- The staff are all on board with the changes.
- onboard entertainment
- The onboard entertainment was better than the food.
- onboard a new employee
- We will onboard a new employee next Monday.
Synonyms and how they differ
- aboard
- Means the same as 'on board' for vehicles, but it is one word and a little more formal; it cannot mean 'agreeing' or 'train a new employee'.
- on the plane
- More specific and only used for planes; 'on board' works for ships, trains, and planes.
Word family
- onboarding noun
- The process of training a new employee or member.
Commonly confused: on-board or onboard or aboard?
on-board or onboard vs aboard
Also means 'on a ship or plane', but it is always one word and is more formal; 'on board' is the everyday phrase.
Practice
Which sentence uses the correct form for the meaning 'agreeing with a plan'?
Choose one answer.
The phrase 'be on board with something' means 'agree with it', so B is correct. An and C miss the word 'with', and D uses the verb 'onboard', which means 'train a new employee', not 'agree'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “on-board or onboard”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.