omnibus

1 of 2

noun

om·ni·bus ˈäm-ni-(ˌ)bəs

Synonyms of omnibus

: a usually automotive public vehicle designed to carry a large number of passengers : bus

took a seat on the omnibus

: a book containing reprints of a number of works (as of a single author or on a single subject)

The omnibus contained all of the author's short stories.

omnibus

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or providing for many things at once

: containing or including many items

an omnibus bill

Did you know?

The adjective omnibus may not have much to do with public transportation, but the noun omnibus certainly does—it not only means "bus," but it's also the word English speakers shortened to form bus. The noun omnibus originated in the 1820s as a French word for long, horse-drawn vehicles that transported people along the main thoroughfares of Paris. Shortly thereafter, omnibuses—and the noun omnibus—arrived in New York. But in Latin, omnibus simply means "for all." Our adjective omnibus, which arrived in the mid-1800s, seems to hark back to that Latin omnibus, though it may also have been at least partially influenced by the English noun. An "omnibus bill" containing numerous provisions, for example, could be likened to a bus loaded with people.

Examples of omnibus in a Sentence

Adjective an omnibus edition of his more popular stories the president's state of the union speech is usually an omnibus look at the issues that the country is confronting

Recent Examples on the Web

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Noun

The new threat has angered because when Trump and Musk blew up a December 2024 year-end omnibus budget plan, a permanent funding mechanism for World Trade Center Health Program was one of the casualties. —Nancy Cutler, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025 Briggs’ concern is the possibility of some of the pieces of the legislation being part of a housing omnibus bill. —Alex Malm, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

Adjective

The vote came after multiple Democratic priorities were added to the omnibus crime bill that included the state takeover. —arkansasonline.com, 12 Mar. 2025 The group argued in the statement that the stopgap bill would eliminate the need for an omnibus bill, a massive package filled with earmarks that lawmakers often turn to under time pressure to fund the government. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for omnibus