onus

Definition

A legal obligation.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₃enh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃énh₂os Proto-Italic *onos Latin onuslbor. English onus Learned borrowing from Latin onus (literally “burden”).

Example Sentences

• "The onus is on the landlord to make sure the walls are protected from mildew."
• "The argument is founded on a principle which is now acknowledged to be universal; and the onus of disproof must lie with those who may be bold enough to take up the position that a region exists where at last the Principle of Continuity fails."
• "Geraldine evades the onus of ambition by subordinating it to the service of her family, and escapes the onus of sexuality by bodily mutilation"