ont

Ont is a term with several unrelated uses in language and geography.

In French, ont is the third-person plural present tense form of the verb avoir (to have). It corresponds to “they have” in English. For example: Ils ont une voiture means “They have a car.” This form is a common part of everyday French grammar and appears in any sentence involving possession or obligation.

In English-language contexts, Ont. with a capital O and a period is a conventional abbreviation for the Canadian province of Ontario. It is found in bibliographies, maps, and historical documents. In modern postal and standard codes, Ontario is typically represented by the two-letter code ON in addresses and official listings, while CA-ON is used in ISO 3166-2 style references for subdivisions, and Ont. remains common in older style guides or formal writings.

Other uses of the lowercase ont are not standard English vocabulary and the term typically requires context to determine meaning. Outside of the French verb form and Ontario abbreviation, ont does not have a widely recognized single definition in English. When encountered, the reader should rely on surrounding text to infer whether it signals a French grammatical form or a regional abbreviation.

Overall, ont is best understood as a French verb form meaning “have” in its third-person plural, and as an abbreviation related to Ontario in English-language sources, with modern practice favoring ON for the province in most hands-on contexts.