startup

American  

[stahrt-uhp] / ˈstɑrtˌʌp /

Or start-up

noun

1. the act or fact of starting something; a setting in motion.

2. a new business venture, or a new commercial or industrial project.

   a small, 5-month-old internet startup.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the beginning of such a venture or project, especially to an investment made to initiate it.

   high start-up costs for construction of a new facility.

Etymology

Origin of startup

First recorded in 1550–60; noun use of verb phrase start up

Explanation

The word startup refers to either the process of beginning something or a new entrepreneurial business. The startup costs for your sister's startup might be higher than she thinks. Most startups offer their customers something innovative — a new product, like a dog toy that's truly indestructible, or an ingenious service, like a smartphone app that tells you where the closest public restrooms are. A startup begins with a great idea, is backed by investments of money, and is intended to grow very quickly — assuming it's successful.

Example Sentences

The startup says it has signed leases for 500 megawatts of capacity in total, but most of it is in data centers that are still being built.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

The startup has closed its Series B funding round, led by AMD and the hedge fund Magnetar Capital, raising $350 million at a post-money valuation of $1.55 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

TensorWave, a cloud-computing startup, raised $350 million in a Series B funding round led by AMD and Magnetar Capital.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Wayve, a British startup specialised in artificial intelligence for self-driving vehicles, said Monday it was ready to launch its robotaxi service with Uber in London as early as this summer.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

“It was a pharmaceutical startup in Toa Baja.”

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya