2
: beginning, commencement
the onset of winter
the onset of age-related diseases
Examples of onset in a Sentence
the walls withstood the onset of the first battalion
the claim that if you take enough vitamin C at the onset of a cold, you'll often recover faster
Recent Examples on the Web
The world has been in a state of perpetual transformation since the onset of the pandemic.
—
Pablo Listingart, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Measles rash appears three to five days after the onset of the first symptoms.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
This two-season potboiler, set a decade after the onset of the outbreak, follows teenage sisters (Aliyah Royale and Alexa Mansour) who’ve led sheltered, terrified existences among the first generation to grow up in flesh-eating turmoil.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
As with the transition to sound, to which the onset of Technicolor was often compared, some actresses fared better than others under the new lens.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for onset
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Pablo Listingart, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Measles rash appears three to five days after the onset of the first symptoms.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
This two-season potboiler, set a decade after the onset of the outbreak, follows teenage sisters (Aliyah Royale and Alexa Mansour) who’ve led sheltered, terrified existences among the first generation to grow up in flesh-eating turmoil.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
As with the transition to sound, to which the onset of Technicolor was often compared, some actresses fared better than others under the new lens.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for onset
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onset. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
onset
noun
on·set
ˈȯn-ˌset 
ˈän-
Medical Definition
onset
noun
on·set
ˈȯn-ˌset, ˈän-
: the initial existence or symptoms of a disease
the onset of scarlet fever
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