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View synonyms for

onset

[ on-set, awn- ]

noun

  1. a beginning or start:

    the onset of winter.

  2. an assault or attack:

    an onset of the enemy.

  3. Phonetics. the segment of a syllable preceding the nucleus, as the gr in great. Compare coda ( def 5 ), core 1( def 14 ).


onset

/ ˈɒˌɛ /

noun

  1. an attack; assault
  2. a start; beginning
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of onset1

1525–35; on + set, after the verb phrase set on
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Compare Meanings

How does onset compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Delaying the onset of puberty in kids seems like it's punitive, as if they believe neurodivergent people don't deserve normal sexual development.

From

The infection resulted in the onset of sepsis, which is "likely to have been a key factor" in the cause of death.

From

Changes in the blood could be present decades before the onset of physical symptoms and they were usually only picked up by scans, which took longer to carry out and required specialist equipment.

From

But that uptick in total encounters during the onset of the pandemic doesn't reflect the number of individuals CBP encountered, which is a smaller number, according to the Pew Research Center.

From

"Time outdoors, before a child becomes myopic, helps either prevent or delay the onset of their myopia."

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