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outset

outset

64 3.9
The beginning of something, especially the first part
  • noun
  • /ˈaʊtˌsɛt/
translation icon : inicio
  • I readily concede at the outset that my argument will not please professional historians.
  • clear from the outset
  • the very outset
  • the outset of the article

He is presumed from the outset to be a risk to his children.

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Examples

  • Having said all that, I must tell you from the outset that the evening was a disaster.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The project was, from the outset, a cooperative joint venture between IS and claims departments.

    Academic text (1991)
  • From the very outset, we must put both feet on the ground of language.

  • I thought I just might mention at the outset that everything is in order.

  • Let me state at the outset.

  • As I said at the outset, my aim has not been to produce a universal model.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Six families either declined to participate at the outset or were not able to complete the study.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Last year, President Obama ordered that all of our International Development projects be designed from the outset with climate impacts in mind.

  • From the outset, they were regarded as two linked organisations working towards the same objective, the creation of an independent Irish Republic.

  • From the very outset, we must put both feet on the ground of language.

Synonyms

beginning
vsoutset
1.0

The first part of something when it starts

is the general idea of the start rather than a specific label
start
vsoutset
1.0

The time or place when something begins

is the broader notion of beginning rather than a signal
at first
vsoutset
984 1.0

In the beginning before things change

is the term for the starting moment, not the changing timeline
initially
vsoutset
395 3.2

At first, before things change

names the start itself rather than describing timing adverbially
to begin with
vsoutset
274 2.3

At the start before anything else happens

labels the starting moment itself rather than introducing a point
in the beginning
vsoutset
246 1.4

At the start of something

is the concise noun for that initial stage rather than a phrase
starting point
vsoutset
69 3.0

A place, time, or situation that people use as a basis for later action

is the simple temporal idea of starting rather than a base
get-go
vsoutset
  • Informal
61 6.9

The very start of an activity or project

expresses the same early time but in neutral language
from the get-go
vsoutset
  • Informal
52 6.6

Right from the very start

is the neutral term for that initial time without informality
inception
vsoutset
43 6.2

The time when something first begins

is the common word for that initial moment without formality
kickoff
vsoutset
37 3.7

The official start of an event or activity

is the everyday term for the beginning without official sense
initiation
vsoutset
15 4.7

The act of beginning something such as a project

focuses on the notion of the start rather than the act itself
commencement
vsoutset
10 4.4

The start of something, for example an event or action

is the simple term for beginning without ceremonial tone
onset
vsoutset
  • Specialized
5 3.5

The beginning of something or the first sound in a syllable

is the plain label for that early stage without technical note
from the word go
vsoutset
  • Informal
3 5.3

From the very beginning of something

offers the same timing but in plain, non-idiomatic language
1 4.5

An idea or fact used as a starting point for discussion and work

is the general start concept not tied to a chosen base
start-off
vsoutset
3.2

The first moment when a race or event begins

is the broader notion of starting, not only the signal
in initio
vsoutset
  • Literature
9.9

From the very beginning

is the neutral everyday word rather than a formal phrase
ab initio
vsoutset
  • Formal
9.9

From the beginning

is the simple common term rather than a scholarly phrase

Antonyms

end
1.0

The final part of something, like an event or story

Surface Forms

outset singular
outsets plural

Morphology

outset = set (transparent) = out + set

A straightforward compound of 'out' + 'set' whose meaning 'start/beginning' follows directly from the verbal sense 'set out' (to begin). [Postprocessing: moved 'out' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Outset is made from the simple parts out and set, like the phrase set out when you begin a journey. That's why outset means the 'start' or 'beginning' of something.