Standard Lemma guide

setup

noun · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • sĕt'ŭp'
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsɛtʌp/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈsɛtʌp/
  • Canada, General-American: [ˈsɛɾʌp]
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈsetɐp/
  • CMU ARPABET: S EH1 T AH2 P Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The laboratory included an elaborate setup for measuring the energy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The fashion in which something is organized or arranged.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The classroom setup was simple and efficient.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A situation orchestrated to frame someone; a covert effort to place the blame on somebody.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Trust me, that was a setup!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An installer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The process or instance of arranging resources for performing a specific operation, as a run of a particular product.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: operations

Examples

  • A simple setup on the bottling line involves reloading bottles and labels; emptying, cleaning, and reloading the tanks; and a test run.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: make-ready, makeready

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The tendency of persistent wind to produce higher water levels at the downwind shore of a body of water and lower at the upwind shore.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: geography, hydrology, natural-sciences

Examples

  • There was a strong wind setup at the south end of the lake after a day of northerly gales.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A move or set of moves which are meant to draw out a reaction which leaves an exploitable opening in defense.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: boxing, government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, sports, war

Examples

  • The jab is most commonly used as a setup for other strikes.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

Misspelling of set up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, misspelling

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

an act that incriminates someone on a false charge

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: frame-up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: falsification, falsehood

10

noun

Meaning 10

equipment designed to serve a specific function

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: apparatus

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: equipment

Narrower terms: aerator, burner, cascade liquefier, centrifuge, extractor, separator, chemical reactor, condenser, duplicator, copier, electrograph, generator, heat pump, heliograph, incubator, brooder, instillator, Kipp's apparatus, lighting, nuclear reactor, reactor, optical bench, pendulum, purifier, reformer, semaphore, sequencer, sequenator, soda fountain, still, submersible, telegraph, telegraphy, titrator, X-ray machine

11

noun

Meaning 11

the way something is organized or arranged

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it takes time to learn the setup around here

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: manner, mode, style, way, fashion

History

Etymology

Deverbal from set up.

Across languages

Translations

63 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: устано́вка (ustanóvka) — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • Danish: opstilling — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • Danish: opsætning — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • Estonian: seaded — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • Finnish: laitteisto — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • French: installation — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • German: Einrichtung — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • German: Vorrichtung — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • German: Gerät — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • German: Installation — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • Italian: apparecchio — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • Italian: dispositivo — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • Russian: устано́вка (ustanóvka) — Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • Bulgarian: устройство (ustrojstvo) — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Bulgarian: организация (organizacija) — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Estonian: seadistus — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Finnish: järjestely — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • German: Einrichtung — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • German: Anordnung — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • German: Aufbau — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Greek: εγκατάσταση (egkatástasi) — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Italian: impostazione — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Italian: configurazione — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Italian: assetto — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Italian: situazione — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Italian: allestimento — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Italian: impianto — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Russian: обстановка (obstanovka) — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Russian: условия (uslovija) — The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Bulgarian: постановка (postanovka) — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Chinese Mandarin: 陷害 (xiànhài) — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Estonian: lavastus — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Finnish: lavastus — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • French: coup monté — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • German: Inszenierung — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • German: abgekartetes Spiel — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • German: Falle — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Italian: macchinazione — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Macedonian: местенка (mestenka) — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Portuguese: armação — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Russian: подста́ва (podstáva) — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Spanish: trampucheta — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Spanish: maquinación — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Spanish: leva — situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Bulgarian: инсталатор (instalator) — computing: an installer
  • Czech: instalátor — computing: an installer
  • Esperanto: agordilo — computing: an installer
  • Esperanto: instal-asistanto — computing: an installer
  • Esperanto: instalilo — computing: an installer
  • Finnish: asennusohjelma — computing: an installer
  • Galician: instalador — computing: an installer
  • Georgian: ინსტალატორი (insṭalaṭori) — computing: an installer
  • German: Installationsprogramm — computing: an installer
  • German: Installer — computing: an installer
  • Hungarian: telepítő — computing: an installer
  • Indonesian: pemasang — computing: an installer
  • Malay: pemasang — computing: an installer
  • Polish: instalator — computing: an installer
  • Serbo-Croatian: instalacijski alat — computing: an installer
  • Serbo-Croatian: instalacijski program — computing: an installer
  • Slovene: namestitveno orodje — computing: an installer
  • Spanish: instalador — computing: an installer
  • Swedish: installationsprogram — computing: an installer