head start

American  

Or headstart

noun

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.

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head start British  

noun

1. an initial advantage in a competitive situation

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of head start

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

With a 3-billion-year head start on all other living things, these tiny microbes may hold the key to some of our most persistent mysteries, including “how life first developed on this planet.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Whoever takes the lead in London may get a head start rolling out robotaxis elsewhere.

From The Wall Street Journal

To draw even, China would need to erase America’s more than half-century head start.

From The Wall Street Journal

The startup was caught flat-footed after the viral release of ChatGPT, which gave OpenAI a giant user base and a lengthy head start on sales.

From The Wall Street Journal

He was admitted to the University of Chicago at 15, under a program designed to give bright youngsters a head start in life.

From Los Angeles Times