outset

Where things begin

Outset is the beginning or start of something, typically a process, period, or undertaking.

It almost always appears with at the or from the: At the outset, no one expected the project to succeed.

From the outset, she made her intentions clear.

The word emphasizes the initial moment when something is set in motion.

beginning

commencement

Act of starting

inceptionFounding moment
startTo set going
dawnDay's first glow

kickoff · initiation · debut · introduction · opening · launch · birth · emergence · advent · threshold

origin

source

Point of origin

rootsUnderground nutrient absorbers
genesisPoint of creation
provenanceRecord of ownership

seed · germination · embryo · wellspring · cradle · fountainhead · origination · point of departure

foundation

groundwork

Foundational preparation for something

frameworkUnderlying support system
baselineStandard for comparison
cornerstoneFoundational building block

footing · bedrock · underpinning · platform · scaffolding · preparation · setup · premise · anchor · starting point

Categories

beginningsbegin, beginning, start, first, opening
openingsopening, aperture, gap, hole, slit
time wordsminute, hour, day, now, soon
outout, outside, outdoor, outdoors, outsider
renewalrenewal, reinvigoration, restart, reboot, fresh start
dawnsunrise, daybreak, dawn, first light, sunup

Opposites

temporal sequence

outsetend

Final portion or cessation

conclusion · finish · ending · finale · termination

journey/process position

outsetdestination

Intended arrival point

finish line · endpoint · terminus · journey's end · goal

Family

Familiarity: Top 100,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Everyday, not technical · Rated G