outpost

noun

out·​post ˈau̇t-ˌpōst 

1

a

: a security detachment dispatched by a main body of troops to protect it from enemy surprise

b

: a military base established by treaty or agreement in another country

2

a

: an outlying or frontier settlement

b

: an outlying branch or position of a main organization or group

Examples of outpost in a Sentence

an American outpost in Africa

The city was established as a military outpost in the 1800s.

a remote outpost of the old British Empire

Recent Examples on the Web

This marks a broader trend of big-name (and heavily resourced) restaurants opening flashy outposts in Miami. —Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 19 Apr. 2024

The discoveries were made during an archaeological excavation of Fort Gustav, a historic military outpost perched atop a hill on Saint Barthelemy. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

outpost

noun

out·​post ˈau̇t-ˌpōst 

1

: a guard stationed at a distance from a military force or camp

2

: the position occupied by an outpost

3

: a settlement on a frontier or in a faraway place