setup

American  

[set-uhp] / ˈsɛtˌʌp /

noun

1. organization; arrangement.

2. an act or instance of setting up or getting ready.

   The setup of the lights and camera took most of the morning.

3. the carriage of the body; bearing.

4. a camera position, as for a particular shot.

5. everything required for an alcoholic drink except the liquor, as a glass, ice, and soda water, as served to patrons who provide their own liquor.

6. Informal.

   1. an undertaking or contest deliberately made easy.

   2. a match or game arranged with an opponent who can be defeated without risk or effort.

   3. an opponent easy to defeat.

7. Sports.

   1. a shot or play that results in a puck, shuttlecock, ball, or balls being so positioned as to provide a player with an easy opportunity for a winning shot.

      a playmaker who excels in setups.

   2. the position of such a puck, ball, etc..

      a setup close to and to the left of the goalkeeper.

   3. the puck, ball, etc., itself.

      The wing banged the setup into the goal.

8. an arrangement of all the tools, parts, apparatus, etc., necessary for any of various specific jobs or purposes.

9. the equipment or items necessary for a particular activity or period; kit.

   Each student gets a weekly setup of clean blankets, sheets, and towels.

10. a plan or projected course of action.

11. a prearranged situation or circumstance, usually created to fool or trap someone; trick; scheme.

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Usage

See login.

Etymology

Origin of setup

First recorded in 1600–10; noun use of verb phrase set up

Example Sentences

The setup mirrored real-life decisions, but stripped away the usual complications.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

This intriguing setup makes for a promising start.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

While the local utility’s upgrade timeline was five years, Critical Loop’s setup enabled the facility to draw power from the grid for most of the year and use on-site batteries to cover peak-constrained hours.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

This setup allowed them to generate shock waves similar to those produced by meteorite impacts on Mars.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

The fussy biochemical setup had taken weeks to perfect—except each time the ribosomes were caught, they crumbled and fell apart.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• composition
• foundation
• set-up
• structure
• system