set out
verb
Simple meaning
To start an activity with the intention of finishing it.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
sehtowtSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsɛˈtaʊt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
intransitive
To start an activity with the intention of finishing it.
Take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
Lay out orderly or logically in a line or as if in a line
transitive
To explain something, or give exact details, usually in writing.
intransitive
To go out, leave.
uktransitive
To position, to put in a position
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To start an activity with the intention of finishing it.
Used this way, set out is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.