startup

1.nounB1

Definition

a newly formed small company that often focuses on technology or new ideas and aims to grow quickly

Example

Yumi founded a tech startup that builds language-learning apps for children.

tech startup + builds [product]

Many investors are looking for promising startups in the renewable energy sector.

promising startup — adjective collocation

Common collocations

tech startup
internet startup
startup founder
startup culture
fund a startup
launch a startup
promising startup

Synonyms

venture
more formal; emphasises risk and investment rather than newness
young enterprise
less common in everyday speech; more typical of business writing

Antonyms

established company
a business that has been operating for many years
corporation
a large, formally structured company, usually not newly formed

Usage Note

Often used in the context of technology and innovation, though not limited to that field.

Common Mistakes

I work for a startup company.

I work for a startup.

In modern English, 'startup' alone already names the company; adding 'company' is repetitive unless used attributively ('startup company').

2.nounC1

Definition

the moment or act of beginning the operation of a system, process, or piece of equipment

Example

The startup of the new factory line was delayed by a shortage of materials.

startup of [facility] — preposition pattern

Kevin is in charge of planning the startup of the online payment system next month.

Common collocations

startup of
during startup
from startup
startup phase
startup costs

Synonyms

launch
more general; can apply to products, campaigns, or rockets, not just systems
commencement
formal; rarely used for equipment

Antonyms

shutdown
the act of stopping operation

Usage Note

Often used in engineering, manufacturing, and project-management contexts. Distinguish from sense 1 (BUSINESS): this sense describes the act of starting something, not the company itself.

3.nounB2

Definition

the sequence of operations that a computer performs from the moment the power is turned on until it is ready to work

Example

The new laptop has a very fast startup and is ready in under ten seconds.

fast startup — adjective collocation

Ilan restarted his computer to fix a problem that appeared during startup.

Common collocations

fast startup
slow startup
startup time
startup sound
startup program
at startup
during startup

Synonyms

boot-up
informal; more common in everyday speech than in technical manuals
system start
more technical; found in official documentation

Antonyms

shutdown
the process of turning a computer off

Usage Note

Uncountable — do not say 'a startup' when referring to a computer's boot process. Use 'the startup' or 'startup' without an article.

Common Mistakes

My computer had a slow startup.

My computer has slow startup.

When referring to the boot process, 'startup' is uncountable. Use 'a' only with the business sense (countable).

1.adjectiveB1

Definition

describing a company that has only recently begun operating, especially in a field involving technology or new methods

Example

A start-up company in Shenzhen is developing a new kind of electric battery.

start-up company + [location] + develops [product]

The city offers tax breaks to attract start-up businesses to the area.

Common collocations

start-up company
start-up business
start-up firm
start-up studio
start-up scene

Synonyms

newly founded
more formal; can also follow the noun ('the company is newly founded')
early-stage
used mainly in business and investment contexts

Antonyms

established
describing a company that has been operating for a long time

Usage Note

Used only before a noun (attributive position). You cannot say 'the company is start-up' — use 'the company is a startup' (noun) instead.

Common Mistakes

The business is very start-up.

The business is a startup.

'Start-up' as an adjective must go before a noun; use the noun form after 'be.'

2.adjectiveB2

Definition

relating to the process or costs involved in creating and developing a new business

Example

Kemi and Ilan could not pay their start-up costs in the first year.

start-up costs — fixed collocation for expenses

The government provides start-up grants for young people who want to open their own shop.

start-up grant — grant for new businesses

Common collocations

start-up costs
start-up funding
start-up capital
start-up grant
start-up financing
start-up phase
start-up planning

Synonyms

initial
broader meaning — refers to the first stage of anything, not only businesses
seed
used only in investment contexts ('seed funding', 'seed capital')

Usage Note

Commonly used with nouns like 'costs,' 'funding,' 'capital,' 'grant,' 'phase,' and 'support.' Distinguish from sense 1 (NEW COMPANY): sense 1 describes the company itself, while sense 2 describes the activities or resources needed to start one.

3.adjectiveB2

Definition

describing the operations and settings involved in booting a computer after the power is turned on

Example

The technician checked the start-up sequence to find out why the server kept crashing.

start-up sequence — technical collocation

You can change the start-up settings to make the computer boot more quickly.

Common collocations

start-up sequence
start-up disk
start-up files
start-up program
start-up screen
start-up configuration

Synonyms

boot
more common in everyday computing; 'boot sequence' is interchangeable with 'start-up sequence'
initialisation
British spelling; more technical and less frequent in casual use

Usage Note

Used only before a noun (attributive). Common with technical nouns such as 'sequence,' 'disk,' 'files,' 'program,' 'screen,' and 'configuration.'

Word family

start up
phrasal verbB1
start
verbA1
start
nounA2
starter
nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Startup, venture, young enterprise, and new company all refer to recently formed businesses, but they differ in scope and connotation. Startup strongly implies a modern, often technology-focused business with high growth ambitions — investors say 'funding a startup' but rarely 'funding a new company.' Venture is more formal and emphasises risk and investment; it is commonly paired with 'capital' (venture capital) or 'joint venture.' Young enterprise sounds slightly more formal and appears in business journalism, while new company is the most general, neutral term for any recently registered business regardless of sector or growth plans. For example: 'Sora's food delivery startup just received its second round of funding' (growth-focused, tech-enabled), but 'Kevin registered a new company to manage his family's farmland' (no growth narrative intended).

startup ↗venture ↗young enterprisenew company

Common collocations

Nouns

startup founder
startup culture
startup scene
startup hub
startup ecosystem

Phrases

early-stage startup
startup phase
from startup

Prepositions

startup in [industry/sector]
startup of [system/process]

Etymology

EnglishEnglish

The word 'startup' comes from the phrasal verb 'start up,' meaning 'to begin operating.' In the late 19th century, it was used for engines and machines ('the startup of a motor'). By the mid-20th century, it expanded to business contexts. The modern sense — a small, fast-growing technology company — became widespread during the dot-com boom of the 1990s. The adjective form appeared alongside the noun as a modifier ('startup company').

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startup

startup — noun

1. a newly formed small company that often focuses on technology or new ideas and a

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. the moment or act of beginning the operation of a system, process, or piece of e

Usage Note

3. the sequence of operations that a computer performs from the moment the power is

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

startup — adjective

1. describing a company that has only recently begun operating, especially in a fie

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. relating to the process or costs involved in creating and developing a new busin

Usage Note

3. describing the operations and settings involved in booting a computer after the

Usage Note

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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