starting
Americanadjective
-
being a price, amount, player lineup, etc., fixed at the beginning.
If you get hired, what will your starting salary be?
-
setting out on a course of action; taking the first steps in an activity.
The idea of the frosh pub mingle is for you to meet your fellow starting students.
-
coming to life, becoming active, or beginning to move.
She listened for the sound of a starting car, but all was still.
Etymology
Origin of starting
First recorded in 1810–15; start ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
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.
Having already lived a dreamlike existence in France, this was starting to feel surreal.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
When Abdul-Mateen was starting out, he didn’t like taking stock on his birthday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The country’s economy followed a similar path last year, starting the year with strong growth but losing speed as time went on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Treasury debt is a slumbering giant that is starting to stir.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
I looked at my watch and found it was exactly twenty-four hours since we were in the staging area in downtown Anchorage waiting to get in the starting chute.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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.
