TKG English Learner's Dictionary

on

onpreposition

American /ɑn/ British /ɒn/ also (American) /ɔn/ also common, with the vowel of law
very commondefining vocabulary

On shows that something touches or rests on a surface; its other uses name a day, a means, a subject, a state, or a thing that is affected.

  1. on a surfacetouching and held up by the top of something

    Collocations

    verb + preposition put something on, sit on, lie on, stand on, hang something on

    Antonyms off

    Compare onto (onto stresses movement to a surface: The cat jumped onto the table; on can show the movement or the position); over (on touches the surface; over is usually higher and not touching: a lamp over the table, a cup on the table); upon

    1. afixed to, hanging from, or covering the side or lower surface of something

    2. bbeing carried by someone or worn on part of the body

  2. positionat or in a particular place, such as a street, a coast, a side, or a page

    Used with streets, roads, rivers, coasts, floors of a building, and sides and pages: on the second floor, on the right. For a town or a room, use in; for an exact address with a number, American and British English both use at.

    Collocations

    phrase on the left, on the right, on the corner, on the second floor, on page ten

    Compare in; at

  3. days and datesduring a particular day or date

    Used with days of the week, dates, and special days, and with a part of a named day (on Friday night). Months, years, and seasons take in; clock times take at. American English also says on the weekend, where British English says at the weekend.

    Collocations

    phrase on Monday, on Sundays, on the first of May, on weekdays, on that day

    Compare in (months and years: in June, in the summer); at (clock times: at six)

  4. buses and trainsin or onto a bus, train, plane, ship, or bike, or on a horse

    Used with public vehicles that you can walk around in and with things you sit on top of. A car, a taxi, or a small boat takes in: in a taxi. Traveling by walking is on foot.

    Collocations

    phrase on the bus, on the train, on a plane, on a bike, on foot
    verb + preposition get on the bus, travel on the train

    Compare in (in a car, in a taxi)

  5. machines and mediausing a machine or a means of sending sound or pictures, or shown by it

    Collocations

    phrase on the phone, on TV, on the radio, on the internet, on the news, on the computer

  6. subjectabout a particular subject

    Close in meaning to about, but used especially for serious or detailed work such as books, talks, reports, and advice.

    Collocations

    noun + preposition a book on, a talk on, an article on, advice on, views on, information on

    Compare about (about is the everyday word for any subject; on is common for books, reports, and other serious work)

  7. state or activityin a particular state, or taking part in a particular activity

    Used in many fixed phrases, each of which a learner should learn as a whole: on vacation, on fire, on sale, on duty, on strike, on a trip.

    Collocations

    phrase on vacation, on fire, on sale, on duty, on strike, on a trip

  8. affectingaffecting, or directed at, someone or something

    Collocations

    noun + preposition an effect on, pressure on, an attack on, a tax on
    adjective + preposition hard on someone, strict on

    1. aused for a particular thing, when talking about spending money, time, or effort

      Collocations

      verb + preposition spend money on, waste time on, save on

  9. memberbeing one of the people in a group, a team, or a list

    Collocations

    phrase on the team, on the list, on the committee, on the staff

  10. using as food or fuelusing something regularly as food, fuel, medicine, or money to live

    Collocations

    verb + preposition run on, live on, feed on, be on medicine

  11. at the time ofimmediately after, or at the time of, something

    Used before a noun for an event or before an -ing form: on arrival, on arriving. The -ing use is formal; in everyday speech people say when she heard the news.

  12. paid for bypaid for by someone

    informal

Choosing between at · in · on

For place, at picks out a point (at the door), in a space with edges around it (in the kitchen), and on a surface or a line such as a street or a coast (on the table, on the coast). For time, at goes with clock times (at six), on with days and dates (on Monday), and in with longer periods such as months, years, and parts of the day (in June, in the morning).

Usage

On with no noun after it (Put your coat on) is an adverb, and on meaning working or happening (The light is on, Is the party still on?) is an adjective; this entry covers only the preposition. Phrasal verbs such as depend on, get on, and go on have their own entries.

Common mistakes

I'll call you in Monday. I'll call you on Monday.
Days of the week and dates take on; in is for months and years.
We left on the morning. We left in the morning.
Parts of the day take in, but the part of a named day takes on: on Monday morning.
She is on the car. She is in the car.
A car or a taxi takes in; a bus, a train, or a plane takes on.

See also on (with no noun after it: Put your coat on); onto; upon

For translators

Meaning across languages Languages divide space differently. On covers any surface a thing touches, including a wall or a ceiling (a picture on the wall), where some languages use a word closer to at or in. Buses and trains take on but cars take in.
Grammar trap Time: on with days and dates, in with months, years, and parts of the day, at with clock times. A part of a named day takes on: on Monday morning.