noun
Common
setup
SEH-tuhp
Setup (noun) means the way something is arranged or organized, or the equipment used for a particular purpose. Example: “The classroom has a simple setup, with desks arranged in a horseshoe.”
noun
1
The way something is arranged or organized, or the equipment used for a particular purpose.
"The classroom has a simple setup, with desks arranged in a horseshoe."
"I love your home office setup."
"The band spent an hour on the sound setup before the show."
2
A scheme designed to trick or frame someone.
"She suspected the anonymous tip was a setup to get her fired."
"The detective realised the evidence was a setup meant to blame an innocent man."
"He realized too late that the whole meeting was a setup."
How to use setup
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHow something is arranged or equipped, or a trick designed to trap someone.
Common mistake
Write it as one word ("setup") for the noun, but two words ("set up") for the verb: "the setup was great" vs "set up the tent."
Common pairings
gaming setup
it was a setup
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Word forms
- Plural
- setups
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The classroom has a simple _____, with desks arranged in a horseshoe.
Etymology
A deverbal noun formed from the phrasal verb "set up."
Synonyms
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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.
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