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
Because for starters, Kennedy will have to work hard to qualify for the ballot in enough states to even theoretically stand a chance of winning. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024 For starters, a stunning 9.7-inch Retina display that brings your movies, games, and artwork to life in vibrant detail. Stack Commerce, Popular Science, 4 Apr. 2024 Ragans followed fellow starter Alec Marsh with another dominant performance. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024 For starters, how are you supposed to use the square end of the board vs. the pointy end? Helen Carefoot, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024 The Lakers’ starters scored all but two points of the team’s scoring total. Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 31 Mar. 2024 Mills again struggled as a starter, scoring four and finishing 2 for 7 from the field in 12 minutes. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2024 Sacramento will rely heavily on second-year guard Keon Ellis, who was 7-0 as a starter going into Thursday’s game, and Chris Duarte, who’s been in and out of the rotation throughout his first season with the Kings. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 23 Mar. 2024 Furphy scored 16 points and Harris added 13 to round out the starters. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
Adjective
And the income needed to afford said starter home is more than 8% higher than a year ago. Alena Botros, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2024 Since May 2023, Novo Nordisk has been limiting starter doses to ensure there is enough supply for patients already on the drug. Bruce Gil, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024 More than a third of the nation's starter homes were bought in cash in February, Redfin found. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2024 In October, the income needed to buy a starter home hit an all-time high of $82,373 before dropping to the $76,000 first-time buyers now need to make. Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024 And as a nice little bonus, there are four starter ink cartridges included. Georgie Peru, PCMAG, 20 Mar. 2024 Biden also wants Congress to provide a one-year credit of up to $10,000 for families who sell their starter homes, so long as their houses are below the median price in their county. Evan Halper, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 In response, Biden wants to offer up to $10,000 per year in tax credits to those who sell their starter homes and purchase new homes with higher-rate mortgages. The Editors, National Review, 25 Mar. 2024 Houses that are anywhere from three to four million, which would be a bit of a starter home these days in the Hamptons, to as much as a $150 million waterfront estate. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 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 Apr. 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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