onus
noun
Simple meaning
A legal obligation.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ohnuhsSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈoʊnəs
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Responsibility; burden.
A legal obligation.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
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Common Patterns and Combinations
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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
Something that encumbers.
A burden; a weight to be carried.
A responsibility, onus.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: responsibility
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.