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Synonyms

outset

American  
[out-set] / ˈaʊtˌsɛt /

noun

  • outsets
    plural
  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  

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of outset

First recorded in 1530–40; out- + set

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Vocabulary lists containing outset

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.

See Examples For:

And in the time since, LIV continued to face the problem that dogged the league from the outset: It failed to latch on with fans.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 8, 2026

McVay said at the outset of training camp that the season would not be considered a success or a failure by whether the Rams win the Super Bowl.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 6, 2026

"I want to praise the victims in this case who have supported our investigation from the outset, their bravery and determination to see justice served a big role in this result," he said.

From BBC Sep. 3, 2026

Pyka has used lidar from the outset to detect trees, vehicles, large birds and terrain.

From BBC Sep. 1, 2026

Since the outset of their voyage through featureless ocean and anonymous ice pack, the officers and crew of Endurance had been able to track their exact location and chart their zigzagging progress on their maps.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Those series knew what they wanted to accomplish at their respective outsets, but could not match that overall intent with endings that were previously determined for them.

From Salon Jul. 15, 2021

When a part of the common is enclosed and farmed, the enclosure is called an outset; but the outsets are never included in the numeration of merks of rental land.

From Second Shetland Truck System Report by William Guthrie

Mr. Blodget tells us that he never expected to advance more than a quarter of the outsets.

From Glimpses of the Past History of the River St. John, A.D. 1604-1784 by W. O. (William Odber) Raymond

But the outsets, with the strictest economy, must always of necessity be large, showing that crime is an important drawback to industry and thrift.

From The Prison Chaplaincy, And Its Experiences by Hosea Quinby

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