startup

American

[stahrt-uhp] / ˈstɑrtˌʌp /

Or start-up

noun

the act or fact of starting something; a setting in motion.
a new business venture, or a new commercial or industrial project.

a small, 5-month-old internet startup.

adjective

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

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.

Numbers Game: A novel fundraising method for startups is raising questions about how much AI companies are really worth in a frenzied investment atmosphere.

From The Wall Street Journal

She later pivoted the startup’s strategy to using AI technology to develop a “chatbot” that would interact with students and their families.

From Los Angeles Times

Theo Browne, founder and CEO of the AI startup T3 Chat, told MarketWatch that 16 million exchanges is “really not much,” noting that his business hits that volume of usage most months.

From MarketWatch

San Francisco remained the center for high technology, with the lion’s share of venture capital investment to AI startups still flowing into the Bay Area.

From The Wall Street Journal

Eventually she switched careers, tempted by the salaries and stability of tech startups.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023