at the outset
phraseUK /ət ði ˈaʊtsɛt/
US /ət ði ˈaʊtsɛt/
At the very beginning of something.
At the outset of the race, all the runners were close together.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. When something first begins to happen or exist.
At the outset of the project, we had very little money.
3. From the very first moment of an event or period.
She made her goals clear at the outset of the meeting.
4. Before anything else has happened or changed.
At the outset, the plan seemed simple and easy.