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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.

In a new report this week, the IMF detailed the economic costs of war, estimating that output in countries where fighting takes place drops by three percent at the outset, "and continues falling for years."

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

"You could see how much confusion there was from the outset, not just from parents and students but also in the wider media," said Lee.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Sigrid McCawley, a member of Lively’s legal team, said the case will now move forward on retaliation claims, which they described as its central focus from the outset.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

From the outset, the justices gave Trump’s solicitor general, John Sauer, a frosty reception.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

“Now, you will remember, I hope, that I told you at the very outset of these meetings of ours that we would be entering the realms of guesswork and speculation?”

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

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.