the.com/setback
The universe's way of saying 'not yet' instead of 'not ever'.
means A reversal or delay that undoes progress and forces you to regroup before moving forward again.
from Straightforward compound of 'set' and 'back' — literally to set something back, to move it to a less advanced position. The verb phrase 'set back' meaning to hinder or delay is attested from the 1600s, and the noun form 'setback' as a reversal of progress emerged in the 1800s, first in general use and later picked up heavily in sports, politics, and business jargon — all places where momentum matters and losing it needs a name.
- first use
- 17th century, meaning a literal physical retreat
- architecture term
- still means a building's recessed upper floors
- psychology note
- resilience research treats setbacks as data, not verdicts