setup

American  

[set-uhp] / ˈsɛtˌʌp /

noun

1. organization; arrangement.

2. an act or instance of setting up or getting ready.

   The setup of the lights and camera took most of the morning.

3. the carriage of the body; bearing.

4. a camera position, as for a particular shot.

5. everything required for an alcoholic drink except the liquor, as a glass, ice, and soda water, as served to patrons who provide their own liquor.

6. Informal.

   1. an undertaking or contest deliberately made easy.

   2. a match or game arranged with an opponent who can be defeated without risk or effort.

   3. an opponent easy to defeat.

7. Sports.

   1. a shot or play that results in a puck, shuttlecock, ball, or balls being so positioned as to provide a player with an easy opportunity for a winning shot.

      a playmaker who excels in setups.

   2. the position of such a puck, ball, etc..

      a setup close to and to the left of the goalkeeper.

   3. the puck, ball, etc., itself.

      The wing banged the setup into the goal.

8. an arrangement of all the tools, parts, apparatus, etc., necessary for any of various specific jobs or purposes.

9. the equipment or items necessary for a particular activity or period; kit.

   Each student gets a weekly setup of clean blankets, sheets, and towels.

10. a plan or projected course of action.

11. a prearranged situation or circumstance, usually created to fool or trap someone; trick; scheme.

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Usage

See login.

Etymology

Origin of setup

First recorded in 1600–10; noun use of verb phrase set up

Example Sentences

Jeralene Maria, who came to New York from India, had lived in a similar residence house back home, so the setup felt familiar.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Even though new shareholders will own a slice of the company, Musk will keep almost all the decision-making power -- a common setup in tech, where founders often hold special "super-voting" shares.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

“Our expectation for a while has been that gold would struggle through June, but its macro setup for the second half of the year gets much more bullish,” said Armbruster.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

We evaluated app design, ease of use, connection setup, switching servers and support options on each platform for usability by both novice and advanced users.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026

It looked like a pretty good setup, but Chiron muttered next to me, “It isn’t enough.”

From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• composition
• foundation
• set-up
• structure
• system