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

Turnover woes: Miami struggled to hang onto the ball, turning the ball over 10 times in the first half alone. —Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2025

Turnovers came from every angle — dribbling off their feet, chucking passes out of bounds, hanging onto the ball until the shot clock expired and a particularly egregious carry by Zach LaVine, who lazily trapped the ball against his chest while attempting to navigate a screen in the fourth quarter. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025

States with 209 electoral votes have already signed onto the pledge, which commits to sending all Electoral College votes to whoever wins the most votes nationwide if and when states adding up to the threshold of 270 join in. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2025

And the foreclosures have even forced some people onto the streets. —Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025

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