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
What To Know The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of National Social Security Month in 2020 and it was not reinstated during the Biden administration.
—
Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Barker says the league has embraced the two different viewing perspectives of seeing players live on site or with their families elsewhere after conducting a fully virtual draft during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 23 Apr. 2025
The resumption of collections on defaulted student loans lifts a pause initiated in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2025
Instead, a combination of genetic and environmental factors plays a role in the onset of level 1 autism.7
About 15% to 25% of people with autism can be identified by their precise genetic etiology.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for onset
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Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Barker says the league has embraced the two different viewing perspectives of seeing players live on site or with their families elsewhere after conducting a fully virtual draft during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 23 Apr. 2025
The resumption of collections on defaulted student loans lifts a pause initiated in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2025
Instead, a combination of genetic and environmental factors plays a role in the onset of level 1 autism.7
About 15% to 25% of people with autism can be identified by their precise genetic etiology.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 22 Apr. 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 30 Apr. 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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