Meaning & use
start date
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Meaning
nouncountable
The day on which something, such as a job or activity, is scheduled to begin.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a' or 'the' before it. Often followed by 'for' or 'of': the start date for the project.
Patterns
- start date for something
- start date of something
- set a start date
- agree on a start date
My start date at the new company is next Monday.
We need to confirm the start date for the training course.
The contract does not specify a start date, so we should add one.
Word forms
| plural | start dates |
|---|
Common combinations
- set a start date
- The manager set a start date of March 1 for the new project.
- agree on a start date
- After some discussion, they agreed on a start date.
- confirm the start date
- Please confirm the start date by email.
- start date for
- The start date for the semester is September 5.
- start date of
- The start date of the festival was moved to June.
- postpone the start date
- They had to postpone the start date because of the weather.
Synonyms and how they differ
- beginning date
- Less common and more formal; 'start date' is the standard term in work and scheduling.
- commencement date
- Very formal, used in legal or official documents; 'start date' is everyday.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: start date or start date vs. starting date?
start date vs start date vs. starting date
Both are correct, but 'start date' is much more common in business and everyday English. 'Starting date' sounds slightly more informal.
Practice
Fill in the blank: We need to agree ___ a start date for the project.
Choose one answer.
The correct phrase is 'agree on a start date'. 'Agree in' and 'agree at' are not used with this meaning, and 'agree to' is used for accepting a plan, not for settling a date together.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “start date”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.