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The adjective omnibus may not have much to do with public transportation, but the noun omnibus certainly does—it not only means "bus," but it's also the word English speakers shortened to form bus. The noun omnibus originated in the 1820s as a French word for long, horse-drawn vehicles that transported people along the main thoroughfares of Paris. Shortly thereafter, omnibuses—and the noun omnibus—arrived in New York. But in Latin, omnibus simply means "for all." Our adjective omnibus, which arrived in the mid-1800s, seems to hark back to that Latin omnibus, though it may also have been at least partially influenced by the English noun. An "omnibus bill" containing numerous provisions, for example, could be likened to a bus loaded with people.
Synonyms
Examples of omnibus in a Sentence
Bayliss Wagner, Austin American-Statesman, 31 Aug. 2024
The measures were part of an elections omnibus bill legislators approved and the governor signed.
—Greg Bishop | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 2 Nov. 2024
Clara Migoya, The Arizona Republic, 9 Oct. 2024
Like a lot of omnibus films, some sections of Visions of Eight are simply better than others.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 29 July 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Omnibus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omnibus. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
omnibus
1 of 2 noun
omnibus
2 of 2 adjective
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