setup
7 synonyms for setup, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The way something is arranged or organized, or the equipment used for a particular purpose.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
frame-up
How to use setup
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
gaming setup
it was a setup
Etymology
A deverbal noun formed from the phrasal verb "set up."
Full origin of setup →Frequently asked questions
What does “setup” mean?
The word “setup” means the way something is arranged or organized, or the equipment used for a particular purpose. In plain terms, how something is arranged or equipped, or a trick designed to trap someone.
How do you pronounce “setup”?
“Setup” is pronounced SEH-tuhp (/ˈsɛtʌp/ in IPA).
How do you use “setup” in a sentence?
Here is “setup” used in a sentence: “I love your home office setup.”
What part of speech is “setup”?
“Setup” is a noun.
Is “setup” a common word?
“Setup” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “setup” have?
“Setup” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the way something is arranged or organized, or the equipment used for a particular purpose.
Is it setup or set up?
Setup (one word) is the noun: "the room's setup", "a recording setup". Set up (two words) is the verb: "please set up the room." A simple test — if you can put a word between set and up, as in "set it up", you need the two-word verb.
Is the hyphenated spelling set-up correct?
Yes — set-up is an accepted variant of the noun, and it remains common in British English, while American English strongly prefers the closed form setup. The verb is always written as two separate words: set up.
What is the difference between setup and configuration?
A setup is the overall way something is arranged or organized, including the equipment used, such as a home-office setup. Configuration is more technical, referring to the specific way components or settings are arranged within a system. You might describe your desk setup but your software's configuration.
