onus
/'ounəs/
Definition
Noun: 1. A difficult or burdensome responsibility or duty: A task or obligation that is heavy, troublesome, or unpleasant to bear. 2. Blame or responsibility for something: The duty or obligation to prove, explain, or take action regarding something, often implying fault.
Usage and Examples
- The primary onus is on the applicant to provide all necessary documentation.
- The report places the onus for safety failures squarely on the management.
- With the new regulations, the onus of recycling falls on individual households.
- He felt the onus of being the family's sole provider.
Advanced Usage
- The onus of proof/proving: A formal phrase used in legal and argumentative contexts to specify who has the responsibility to provide evidence.
- In a criminal trial, the onus of proof lies with the prosecution.
- To shift the onus (onto someone): To transfer a burden of responsibility to another person or group.
- The company tried to shift the onus for the accident onto the contractor.
Variants and Related Words
- Onerous (adjective): Describing a task or responsibility that is burdensome, difficult, or involving great effort.
- She was given the onerous task of reorganizing the entire filing system.
Synonyms
- Burden
- Responsibility
- Obligation
- Duty
- Liability
- Accountability
Idioms and Fixed Phrases
- The onus is on (someone): A common structure used to state clearly who bears the responsibility.
- The onus is on the government to address this crisis.
- To bear the onus: To accept or carry a heavy responsibility.
- As team leader, she bore the onus for the project's success or failure.
Noun
-
an onerous or difficult concern
-
the burden of responsibility
-
that's a load off my mind
-
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