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

“The result is a more fragile setup: positioning can drift higher in calm markets, but is increasingly exposed to rapid de-risking, pointing to weaker support and rising downside risk from systematic flows,” Barclays said.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

Writing in Advanced Photonics, the scientists described an experimental setup that uses sunlight as the only pump source for SPDC.

From Science Daily • May 18, 2026

The setup has improved since TNX broke above a bearish descending triangle in mid-March, a move that helped form the current bull flag pattern.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Nate Bargatze has a business plan so unheard of for a stand-up comedian that it sounds like the setup for a joke.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

I'd suspected in the past that Adam had a crush on me, and I was now left to wonder whether Evan's whole invitation was just a setup for me and Adam to hang out together.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Related Words

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