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to set out

to set out

32 3.2
To arrange objects or information in a clear organized way
  • phrasal verb
  • /sɛt aʊt/
translation icon : colocar
  • Beside it, I have laid a low table and set out silver candelabra, polished to a high shine.
  • set out a framework
  • set out more restrictive criteria
  • set out standards

And that's a mandate to NHS England each year, which sets out the priorities for NHS England.

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Examples

  • The conservation plan will set out the roles and responsibilities of each partner.

    Academic text (2012)
  • So he starts off by setting out the dimensions that you had to take.

  • So let me just set out what we're going to prove.

  • New arrangements for managing public health are set out in the white paper.

    Academic text (2011)
  • In seeking to set out a basis for addressing these issues, I will focus on three questions.

  • All we can do is set out our stall of demands.

  • David is in the kitchen, setting out the roses in a vase.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Alice opened her stall and set the books out in neat rows in front of her.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • And that's a mandate to NHS England each year, which sets out the priorities for NHS England.

  • For the party, we decided to set out the decorations on the table early in the morning.

Synonyms

to set up
vsto set out
983 2.7

To assemble and prepare equipment or objects so they are ready to use

is less about physical setup and more about logical ordering of content
to organize
vsto set out
  • US
662 1.6

Arrange people, things, and activities so they work well

is narrower, centring on ordering ideas or information rather than broad coordination
to order
vsto set out
201 1.0

To put things in a neat sequence

emphasizes organizing information logically rather than merely ordering items
to arrange
vsto set out
162 1.7

To put things or information in a clear, neat order

focuses on logical organization of information rather than only physical placement
to structure
vsto set out
105 4.4

To arrange parts or ideas in a clear order

focuses more on ordering content logically than on creating an overall framework
to lay out
vsto set out
100 3.1

To arrange items so they are ready and easy to see

is more about arranging information or ideas logically rather than just displaying them
to formulate
vsto set out
59 4.5

To create and describe an idea, plan, or theory clearly

is about arranging and ordering existing information rather than inventing or phrasing it
to sort out
vsto set out
37 2.8

To put things into groups and into the right order

is about arranging content logically rather than classifying into groups
to map out
vsto set out
  • Informal
34 3.7

Plan something carefully in detail before doing it

focuses on presenting or ordering information now rather than detailed future planning
to set forth
vsto set out
  • Formal
29 4.2

To state something clearly in writing or speech

is more about organizing information logically than formally presenting it
to array
vsto set out
16 3.9

To arrange things in an attractive, orderly way

is more about logical ordering and clarity of information than visual display
to format
vsto set out
13 3.6

To arrange text and images into a clear layout for printing or display

is broader, covering logical organization beyond just text or visual layout
to range
vsto set out
5 1.9

To put things in a line or in order

is broader, stressing logical organization of ideas or information rather than mere lining up
to string out
vsto set out
1 4.2

To place things in a line along a path

is about organizing ideas logically and spatially rather than elongating a sequence
to schematize
vsto set out
  • Formal
8.0

To show something in a simple picture or plan

focuses on logical ordering of ideas rather than reducing them to a schema

Antonyms

187 2.8

To spread small things like leaves or seeds over an area without order

4 4.5

To make something lose its order or structure

How Organized

to systematize
  • US
3 6.7
to set out
32 3.2
to arrange
162 1.7
to place
1.0
scatter
8 4.0

Surface Forms

set out infinitive
set out past
set out past participle
setting out present participle
sets out third person singular

Morphology

set + out

The verb 'set' (to put/place) combined with the particle 'out' (outward, distributed) yields a clear compositional sense of placing or laying items outward—i.e., arranging or laying out objects; this is a regular motion/placement + particle pattern that B1 learners can readily infer. The extension to organizing ideas or information is a systematic metaphorical transfer from physical layout (common cross-linguistically), so the core meaning remains predictable from the parts.

Etymology

The phrasal verb set out also comes from the literal act of putting things 'out' on a surface: you set plates or tools out on a table so they are ready and in order. So, set out can mean 'to arrange or present things clearly'.