setoff

noun set·off \ ˈset-ˌȯf \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Definition of setoff

1 : something that is set off against another thing:

a : decoration, ornament

b : compensation, counterbalance

2 : the reduction or discharge of a debt or claim by setting against it a distinct claim in favor of the debtor or party who is the object of the first claim (as in a lawsuit); also : the offsetting claim itself

3 : offset 7a

Examples of setoff in a Sentence

the architect used stone carvings as setoffs for the building's marble facing

First Known Use of setoff

1621

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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setoff Synonyms

Synonyms

adornment, beautifier, caparison, decoration, doodad, embellisher, embellishment, frill, garnish, garniture, ornament, ornamentation, trim;

Near Antonyms

blemish, defacement, disfigurement, scar;

blot, spot, stain;

flounce, flourish, furbelow, ruffle;

enhancement, enrichment, improvement;

appliqué, embossment, embroidery, fancywork;

bedizenment, gilt, glitter;

design, figure, pattern;

furnishings, regalia, trappings;

set off

verb

Definition of set off

transitive verb

1 a : to put in relief : show up by contrast

b : adorn, embellish

c : to set apart : make distinct or outstanding

2 a : offset, compensate

more variety in the Lancashire weather to set off its most disagreeable phases
—Geog. Jour.

b : to make a setoff of

the respective totals shall be set off against one another
—O. R. Hobson

3 a : to set in motion : cause to begin

b : to cause to explode

4 : to measure off on a surface

intransitive verb

: to start out on a course or a journey

set off for home

See set off defined for kids

Recent Examples of set off from the Web

The concrete is new and very white, except for the dark concrete in the middle, and the red concrete that sets off the white.

— steve lord, Aurora Beacon-News, "With Water Street Mall work finished, Aurora looks to renovate Mundy Park," 12 July 2018
The 11-year-old set off to deliver papers in a neighborhood located about 15 minutes from his family’s Columbus, Ohio, home, alongside his mom, Brandie Sharp, and older brother Myca, age 17.

— emily bloch, Teen Vogue, "A Mother Speaks Out After Someone Called the Cops on Her Son, an 11-Year-Old Black Paperboy," 12 July 2018
Then, with little fanfare, the ship set off on a course for Dampier, Australia.

— jeff wise, Popular Mechanics, "What If They Were Looking for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the Wrong Place All Along?," 8 June 2018
That sale set off a wave of record-breaking pieces during last month’s auctions.

— cam wolf, GQ, "Steve McQueen’s Destroyed-in-a-Wildfire Rolex Is Going Up for Auction," 5 June 2018
Its arrival there set off an immediate rise in real estate values.

— arthur hart, idahostatesman, "In Idaho's early 1900s, linking Boise-area cities by rail was much celebrated | Idaho Statesman," 26 May 2018
The accusation set off a feud between Ibar and Penalver.

— lisa arthur, www.sun-sentinel.com, "Pablo," 17 Apr. 2018
With some help from the mysterious Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) and ne’er-do-well mentor of sorts Tobias Beckett (played by Woody Harrelson), Solo and Chewie set off to complete the mission.

— yohana desta, HWD, "Solo: A Star Wars Story," 9 Apr. 2018
In March, Mark Anthony Conditt set off a series of bombs that killed two African Americans, one being a 17-year-old student who was posthumously accepted to a prestigious music school.

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "MLK 50: America Can’t Talk About Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Without Acknowledging Domestic Terrorism," 4 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'set off.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of set off

circa 1598

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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set off Synonyms

Law Dictionary

set-off

noun \ ˈset-ˌȯf \

legal Definition of set-off

1 : the reduction or discharge of a debt by setting against it a claim in favor of the debtor; specifically : the reduction or discharge of a party's debt or claim by an assertion of another claim arising out of another transaction or cause of action against the other party

2 a : a right to seek reduction or discharge of a debt or claim by countering a party's claim with an independent claim

b : a counterclaim made by a defendant against a plaintiff for reduction or discharge of a debt by reason of an independent debt owed by the plaintiff to the defendant — compare recoupment 2