omnibus

1 of 2

noun

om·​ni·​bus ˈäm-ni-(ˌ)bəs How to pronounce omnibus (audio)
1
: a usually automotive public vehicle designed to carry a large number of passengers : bus
took a seat on the omnibus
2
: a book containing reprints of a number of works (as of a single author or on a single subject)
The omnibus contained all of the author's short stories.

omnibus

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or providing for many things at once
2
: containing or including many items
an omnibus bill

Did you know?

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.

Examples of omnibus in a Sentence

Adjective an omnibus edition of his more popular stories the president's state of the union speech is usually an omnibus look at the issues that the country is confronting
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
House Republicans have been determined to end the practice of packaging all 12 annual spending bills into one massive bill called an omnibus. Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 20 Mar. 2024 In pre-sale, Amazon is offering the omnibuses at a hefty $131.50. John Towfighi, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 The timing of the effort was highly curious to Democratic D.C. leaders: House Republicans pushed the legislation forward two days after the D.C. Council passed the Secure D.C. omnibus, a massive public safety package that would enhance punishment for certain crimes. Meagan Flynn, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 That ban was recently added to a major energy omnibus bill that is nearing passage and is the priority of House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast. Emily L. Mahoney, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 An omnibus of short stories, focusing on characters during a crucial day of their lives. John Hopewell, Variety, 28 Nov. 2023 That is intended to give the House and Senate time to pass and negotiate full-year spending bills — though the two chambers are nowhere near an agreement on those — and avoid a massive year-end spending bill called an omnibus. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023 The senators, led by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), warned Schumer not to let the chamber get distracted, which could lead to a pileup of bills that ultimately end in a December omnibus. Misty Severi, Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2023 The education omnibus bill known as the LEARNS Act, signed in March, includes codification of the executive order. Josh Snyder, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2023
Adjective
Computer science course now mandatory An omnibus education bill passed this year includes a new requirement for high school graduation: a computer science class. Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024 According to the Pew Research Center, Congress hasn't passed more than five of its 12 appropriations bills on time since 1996, opting almost every year for continuing resolutions and ultimately omnibus packages to get the government funding over the finish line. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024 Despite a flurry of public safety bills over the last 12 months, which have been combined in an omnibus package working its way through the D.C. Council, the report suggested that the city was still without a comprehensive public safety plan. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2024 In recent years, Congress has passed a continuing resolution, then waited until around Christmas time to put all the appropriations into one bill known as an omnibus package and passed that. Reese Gorman, Washington Examiner, 8 July 2023 Another inconsistency to which some critics point is that his omnibus bill includes temporary tax hikes on the productive agricultural sector. Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 The move aims to divide work on the 12 individual spending bills to avoid a massive omnibus bill to fund the government, which has become the norm in recent years. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024 The omnibus bill would also consolidate more power in his hands. Lucía Cholakian Herrera Sarah Pabst, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024 The two-step deadline is an extension of the current deadline originally conceived by House conservatives to avoid a massive omnibus spending bill to fund the government. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'omnibus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

French, from Latin, for all, dative plural of omnis

First Known Use

Noun

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of omnibus was in 1829

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Dictionary Entries Near omnibus

Cite this Entry

“Omnibus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omnibus. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

omnibus

1 of 2 noun
om·​ni·​bus ˈäm-ni-(ˌ)bəs How to pronounce omnibus (audio)
: bus

omnibus

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of, relating to, or providing for many things at once
2
: containing or including many items
an omnibus legislative bill

More from Merriam-Webster on omnibus

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