set up
/set ʌp/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To arrange or prepare something so it is ready to use, start, or happen. It can also mean to create or establish something, like a business or system.
- We set up the projector before the meeting.
- They set up a new office in Delhi.
- Can you set up the chairs for the event?
Adinary Nuance
Set up is broader and more practical than words like prepare or arrange. Use it when you mean making something ready, creating something, or installing equipment. Prepare focuses on readiness, while arrange focuses on order or organization.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- thiết lập
- Spanish
- configurar
- Chinese
- 设置
- Japanese
- 設定する
- Korean
- 설정하다
Etymology
“Set up” began in English as a phrasal verb built from Old English setten, meaning “put” or “place,” and up. Its modern senses of preparing, arranging, and establishing developed later.
Common phrases
set up a meetingset up a businessset up an accountset up a camera
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is set up one word or two words?
- The phrasal verb is two words: set up. The noun is usually one word: setup.
- What is the difference between set up and prepare?
- Set up often means making something ready in a practical way. Prepare is broader and can mean getting ready mentally or physically.
- Can I use set up in business writing?
- Yes. It is common in business writing, especially for accounts, meetings, offices, and systems.
- Is set up formal or informal?
- It is neutral. You can use it in speaking, emails, and many kinds of writing.