a self-starter

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableapproving

   a person who works hard and acts on their own without needing to be told what to do.

   Grammar: Countable and used about people: a self-starter, two self-starters.

   Patterns

   • be a self-starter
   • hire a self-starter

   We need a self-starter who can manage the project alone.

   She is a self-starter and had the website running within a week.

   Employers often look for self-starters who spot problems early.

2. 2nouncountableold-fashionedtechnical

   a machine or engine that starts working by itself, without an external crank.

   Grammar: Old-fashioned in this sense; modern engines have electric starters.

   Patterns

   • an engine with a self-starter

   This old car was one of the first with a self-starter.

   The self-starter saved drivers from turning a handle.

Word forms

Common combinations

a real self-starter

In interviews he came across as a real self-starter.

hire a self-starter

The startup wanted to hire a self-starter for the sales role.

a natural self-starter

She was a natural self-starter from her first day at school.

look for self-starters

Managers look for self-starters when they build a new team.

Synonyms and how they differ

go-getter

A 'go-getter' is ambitious and eager for success, while a 'self-starter' mainly stresses working without being told.

initiative

'Initiative' is the quality, not the person: someone with initiative may be called a self-starter.

Word family

self-starting adjective

able to begin and continue without help.

Commonly confused: a self-starter or entrepreneur?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a self-starter”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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