English

Noun

onus ‎(countable and uncountable, plural onuses)

1. A legal obligation.

   The onus is on the landlord to make sure the walls are protected from mildew.

2. (uncountable) Burden of proof, onus probandi

   The onus is on those who disagree with my proposal to explain why.

3. Stigma.
   • 1993, Dorothy Mermin, Godiva's Ride: Women of Letters in England, 1830-1880, page 19:

     Geraldine evades the onus of ambition by subordinating it to the service of her family, and escapes the onus of sexuality by bodily mutilation

4. Blame.
   • 1977, Daniel Yergin, Shattered Peace: The Origins of the Cold War and the National Security State, page 6:

     ... what might be called "onus-shifting" — each side trying to make a record and place blame on the other for the division of Europe and the Cold War itself.

5. Responsibility; burden.
   • 2000, Beatles; Brian Roylance, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, The Beatles Anthology, page 174:

     The onus isn't on us to produce something great every time. The onus is on the public to decide whether they like it or not.

Related terms

• exonerate
• exoneration
• onerous
• onus probandi

Translations

Anagrams

• nous

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology

From Latin onus ‎(“burden”).

Noun

onus m ‎(plural onussen or oni, diminutive onusje n)

1. burden

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₃énh₂os from *h₃enh₂-. See Ancient Greek ὄνομαι ‎(ónomai, “impugn, quarrel with”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈo.nus/, [ˈɔ.nʊs]

Noun

onus n ‎(genitive oneris); third declension

1. burden, load

Inflection

Third declension neuter.

Derived terms

• onerō
• onustus
• onus probandī

Descendants

• Dutch: onus
• English: onus
• Italian: onere
• Portuguese: ónus

References

• onus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• onus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ONUS in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “onus”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• CLARKSON, James, Indo-European Word Formation: Proceedings from the International Conference, 2002