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

That head start isn’t even the most concerning part.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

All would mean that the immune system has a head start when it comes to fighting a real Ebola infection.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

China already has a head start in automation.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

Johnson & Johnson is also a key beneficiary in this space, the analyst wrote last month, citing its leadership in hematology and head start in potential markets like Sjogren’s disease and systemic lupus erythematous.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

The cat allowed him a head start, perhaps to add interest to the chase.

From "Abel's Island" by William Steig