starter

1 of 2

noun

start·​er ˈstär-tər How to pronounce starter (audio)
1
: a person who initiates or sets going: such as
a
: an official who gives the signal to begin a race
b
: one who dispatches vehicles
2
a
: one that engages in a competition
especially : a member of a starting lineup
b
: one that begins to engage in an activity or process
3
: one that causes something to begin operating: such as
a
: a device for starting an engine
especially : an electric motor used to start an internal combustion engine
b
: material containing microorganisms (such as yeast) used to induce a desired fermentation
4
: something that is the beginning of a process, activity, or series
especially : appetizer

starter

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or being an item acquired with the expectation that a more elaborate or sophisticated model will be acquired in the future
a starter home
Phrases
for starters
: to begin with

Examples of starter in a Sentence

Noun The team is playing only five regular starters. The car's starter needs to be replaced.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The classic wings logo, for starters, is shown debossed on the collar overlay of the AJ1 High. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024 While Los Cabos is known for choppy waters that aren't necessarily inviting to swimmers, Todos Santos has several great beaches for swimming and snorkeling (try Playa Los Cerritos and Punta Lobos, for starters). Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2024 The dinner option includes similar starter and dessert options and an entree choice of moules frites, beef Bourguignon or salmon with artichokes en barigoule. John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 There was the guest list, for starters: Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Karlie Kloss all attended. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024 For starters, Amazon shares are up 17 percent this year to date. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 For starters, the octogenarian Astrid is far from dying. Tomris Laffly, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 Jackson, 27, went on to have a strong four-year stint with the Bills as a role player and part-time starter. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2024 For starters, Find My gives you the option to share your location for one hour, until the end of the day, indefinitely. Brenda Stolyar, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Last week, President Biden announced a plan to lower the cost of housing through tax credits (for first-time homebuyers and people selling their starter homes), down payment assistance, and more. Alena Botros, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 Altogether, this wave of new construction promises a crucial first step toward addressing a critical shortage of starter homes that has sidelined first-time home buyers and contributed to inflation. Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 For homeowners, there is a $10,000 tax credit aimed at getting people to put their starter homes on the market. Bryan Mena, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 To help offset the cost of buying a home, Biden is proposing the following tax credits: A first-time homebuyer tax credit of $10,000 A one-year tax credit of up to $10,000 to current homeowners who sell their starter homes Who would qualify for the tax credits? Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 There are a lot of guys that became bench players first and then earned the starter role. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024 For safety reasons, such products are invariably kept behind-the-counter because of the possibility of pseudoephedrine being used as a starter chemical for methamphetamine production. Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 And steep prices are combining with elevated mortgage rates to make the market painfully unaffordable, including for the starter homes many peak millennials would love to buy. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 James is an All-Star — and an All-Star starter — for the 20th time, with the league unveiling the results of this season’s starter balloting on Thursday night. Tim Reynolds, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'starter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of starter was in 1622

Dictionary Entries Near starter

Cite this Entry

“Starter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

starter

noun
start·​er
ˈstärt-ər
: someone or something that starts something or causes something else to start
the starter of a motor
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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