Meaning & use
onset
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Meanings
nounusually singular
The point at which something, usually unwelcome, begins.
Grammar: Usually with the: the onset of winter.
Patterns
- the onset of something
- at the onset
The onset of winter made the roads icy.
Early treatment is vital at the onset of symptoms.
He lost weight with the onset of the illness.
nouncountabletechnical
In phonetics, the consonant sounds at the start of a syllable.
Grammar: Technical: in 'strap' the onset is /str/.
Patterns
- the onset of a syllable
The onset of 'bring' is /br/.
Some syllables have no onset.
Linguists describe the onset and the rime.
Word forms
| plural | onsets |
|---|
Common combinations
- onset of
- The onset of the disease is gradual.
- sudden onset
- A sudden onset of pain sent him to the hospital.
- early onset
- Early onset arthritis is rare.
- at the onset
- At the onset, nobody saw the danger.
- delay the onset
- Exercise may delay the onset of illness.
Synonyms and how they differ
- start
- Start is neutral and everyday, with no sense of something unwelcome.
- outbreak
- Outbreak suggests a sudden spread of disease or violence.
- beginning
- Beginning is the general word.
- commencement
- Commencement is formal and is a neutral start.
Opposites
Word family
- onslaught noun
- a fierce attack
Commonly confused: onset or outset?
onset vs outset
Outset is the start of an activity, as in at the outset; onset is the start of something coming, often bad.
Practice
The early ____ of heavy snow closed the schools.
Choose one answer.
The onset of snow is its beginning. Outcome is result, outlet is exit, output is amount produced.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “onset”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.