Or near offer (ONO) – definition and meaning

Or near offer, ONO, or O.N.O. is a term we use when we are selling something. We use it more often when we are selling a second-hand item. ‘Or near offer’ means that the seller would consider an offer that was near the asking price. Some people write ORNO, which stands for ‘or reasonable near offer.’

ONO also stands for ‘or nearest offer.’ We pronounce ONO as three separate letters, not one word. In other words, we say ‘Owen-Oh’ rather than ‘Oh-No.’

Or near offer means that the price for something that is on sale is negotiable. However, it is only negotiable if the offer is near the asking price. In other words, the seller would not consider an offer if it was much lower than the asking price.

The Cambridge Dictionary has the following definition for ONO (or near offer):

“Used in advertisements for things that people are trying to sell to show that they will accept slightly less money than the price they are asking for.”

Or near offer – example

Let’s imagine you want to sell a bicycle. It cost you $300 two years ago. You have used it every day to commute about 4 miles to work.

Although you have used the bicycle a lot, you have looked after it well. It is in excellent condition.

You think you could get about $150 for it. So you place an advertisement in your local paper and some websites. This is how you might word your advert.

‘Bicycle. Two years old. Excellent condition. $150 ONO.’

This means that you hope to sell your bike for $150, but you would consider, for example, $140. In other words, you might accept a reasonable offer, i.e., one close to the asking price.

You could also have written:

‘Bicycle. Two years old. Excellent condition. $150 NEG.’
or
‘Bicycle. Two years old. Excellent condition. $150 ORNO,’

‘NEG’ means ‘negotiable.’ Negotiable, in this context, means that you might be able to reduce the price. ORNO, as mentioned earlier, means ‘or reasonable near offer.’

ORNO has virtually the same meaning as ONO. Perhaps ORNO is more specific. In other words, it is telling people that you don’t want any time wasters.