head start

American  

Or headstart

noun

head starts plural

1. an advantage given or acquired in any competition, endeavor, etc., as allowing one or more competitors in a race to start before the others.

---

head start British  

noun

1. an initial advantage in a competitive situation

---

head start Idioms  

1. An early start that confers an advantage, as in This year we'll get a head start on the competition by running more ads. The expression comes from racing, where it was used for a horse being given an advantage of several lengths over the others. Its extension to other areas dates from the early 1900s.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• head starts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of head start

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

head start

Although Chelsea's squad are not due to return until Thursday, Quenda reported back early, along with a small number of other players, to gain a head start on his preparations.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

Parents who own businesses can hire their children as employees, maximizing the years the IRA funds can compound, which gives them a powerful head start on building a retirement nest egg.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026

Frequent fliers with airport fast passes like TSA PreCheck and Clear don’t need the airport head start.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

He still had to go through an online application portal later, but he had a head start.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Several possible consequences of that Eurasian head start deserve consideration.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond