starting
Americanadjective
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being a price, amount, player lineup, etc., fixed at the beginning.
If you get hired, what will your starting salary be?
-
setting out on a course of action; taking the first steps in an activity.
The idea of the frosh pub mingle is for you to meet your fellow starting students.
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coming to life, becoming active, or beginning to move.
She listened for the sound of a starting car, but all was still.
Etymology
Origin of starting
First recorded in 1810–15; start ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
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.
“This has created an environment where even workers with high levels of job security by traditional standards are starting to feel anxious about the possibility of job loss.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
In an internal note to staff, Simo said a neuroimmune condition had worsened and that she had postponed medical tests and new therapies to stay focused at work since starting her job last August.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
There are some good reasons tenants want to become landlords right now, Newmark property broker Kevin Shannon said, starting with timing.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Don’t forget: OpenAI is paying Oracle $60 billion External link annually for five years, starting in 2027, to access 4.5 gigawatts of AI computing.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
“Well,” Mom was saying, starting to stand up.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.