# on board

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/on-board
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Joining in or participating.

## Examples

- Are you on board with the new plan?
- Everyone in the department is on board with the changes to our schedule.
- The director spent hours convincing the skeptical investors, and by the end of the meeting, they were finally on board with her ambitious vision.

## Origin

Derived from the literal wooden boards comprising the deck of a ship. The phrase entered the language as a nautical reference to being situated within the vessel itself, rather than alongside it.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.