The beginning or start of something. The initial stage or commencement of an activity or process.
Compound of 'out' and 'set', first recorded in the 18th century. The word literally means 'a setting out', referring to the beginning of a journey or enterprise, similar to how we might 'set out' on a trip.
Unlike 'beginning' which is static, 'outset' implies movement and intention - it suggests not just a starting point but an active launching into action. The word carries the energy of departure and purposeful commencement rather than passive origin.
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