startup

American  

[stahrt-uhp] / ˈstɑrtˌʌp /

Or start-up

noun

1. the act or fact of starting something; a setting in motion.

2. a new business venture, or a new commercial or industrial project.

   a small, 5-month-old internet startup.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the beginning of such a venture or project, especially to an investment made to initiate it.

   high start-up costs for construction of a new facility.

Etymology

Origin of startup

First recorded in 1550–60; noun use of verb phrase start up

Explanation

The word startup refers to either the process of beginning something or a new entrepreneurial business. The startup costs for your sister's startup might be higher than she thinks. Most startups offer their customers something innovative — a new product, like a dog toy that's truly indestructible, or an ingenious service, like a smartphone app that tells you where the closest public restrooms are. A startup begins with a great idea, is backed by investments of money, and is intended to grow very quickly — assuming it's successful.

Example Sentences

For several years, the startup offered to quadruple any employee’s charitable contribution of their equity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026

The SpaceX IPO is the first in a string of AI public-market debuts that could deliver new riches to startup employees to donate to charity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026

Mr. Musk, an immigrant from South Africa, launched the rocket company in 2002 with money he made from his PayPal startup.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is a “mastermind of financial engineering,” said Spencer Jackson, a former SpaceX engineer and the CEO of Critical Energy, a startup working on making clean energy more accessible.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026

“His family sponsored the building and helped pay for the startup costs, but everything else—my salary, the materials, the books—it’s all funded by the Ministry of Education.”

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed