onto definition - Dictionary

Dictionary

preposition

Definition:

1. indicates position: used to indicate that somebody or something is located on something, or moves toward it so as to be on it

I splashed water onto my face.

hop onto a bus

shine a flashlight onto a wall

loading the data onto a disk

come onto the market

2. making discovery: making or about to make a discovery, often about something secret or illegal

I'm really onto something big here.

The police were onto them.

3. in contact: in contact with a person or organization

Get onto the suppliers.

[Early 18th century. <on + to¹]

Word Usage


	on, onto, or on to? Onto is usually preferable to on where movement is involved, as in I lifted the child onto [not on] my shoulders, and onto is always the better choice where on would be ambiguous: She jumped onto [not on] the platform. Unlike into, the preposition onto can be written as two separate words: He stepped onto [or on to] the sidewalk. Using onto, however, avoids the risk of confusion with the adverb on followed by the preposition to, which indicates progression and should not be joined together: We walked on to [not onto] the end of the road. Let us move on to [not onto] the next topic. See also into.