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Synonyms

outset

American  
[out-set] / ˈaʊtˌsɛt /

noun

  1. the beginning or start.

    I wanted to explain the situation at the outset.

  2. outsert.

outset British  
/ ˈaʊtˌsɛt /

noun

  1. a start; beginning (esp in the phrase from ( or at ) the outset )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
outset Idioms  

  1. see at the outset.

Etymology

Origin of outset

First recorded in 1530–40; out- + set

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Vocabulary lists containing outset

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"It's something I've been involved with from the outset - helping the engineering team, really testing the very first editions of the club," said Rose.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Altringham started examining bat bridges in 2007, and was skeptical about them from the outset.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026

From the outset, Cook made it clear he didn’t intend to model himself after Jobs, largely staying out of the company’s design studio and delegating many product-development decisions to his executives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Aligning himself with Martin’s approach from the outset, he said that the new chair’s move to set it up was “politically thoughtful.”

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

Though she was calm at the outset of our interview, she became increasingly emotional as she started detailing the events surrounding he case.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.