outsider

noun

out·​sid·​er ˌau̇t-ˈsī-dər 

ˈau̇t-ˌsī-

1

: a person who does not belong to a particular group

2

chiefly British : a contender not expected to win

outsiderness noun

Synonyms of outsider

• stranger
• foreigner

Examples of outsider in a Sentence

To outsiders, the ritual may seem strange.

She felt like an outsider in her new school.

An outsider defeated the champion!

She was a rank outsider who managed to win.

Recent Examples on the Web

The real-life regulations on what color to paint your house, how short to cut your grass, and exactly where to put your garbage can on trash day make this suburb ripe for an outsider and her teenage daughter to come along and shake things up. —Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026

Tensions between Hogg Hummock's Black landowners and county officials have been high for more than a decade, fueled by outsiders buying land in the community and building vacation homes. —CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026

Moore can see these themes being an outsider and an underdog play out in her own character of Sweet Sue. —Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026

Succeeding as an outsider means balancing respect for what exists with the perspective you were hired to bring. —Shanna Hocking, Harvard Business Review, 19 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for outsider

• collider
• confider
• divider
• insider
• provider
• cider
• cyder
• eider
• glider
• hider
• rider
• schneider

Kids Definition

outsider

noun

out·​sid·​er (ˈ)au̇t-ˈsīd-ər 

: a person who does not belong to a particular group