outsource

verb

out·​source ˈau̇t-ˌsȯrs 

outsourced; outsourcing; outsources

transitive + intransitive

: to procure (something, such as some goods or services needed by a business or organization) from outside sources and especially from foreign or nonunion suppliers : to contract for work, jobs, etc., to be done by outside or foreign workers

decided to outsource some back-office operations

Some services and aspects of production were outsourced to cut costs.

Firms outsource to capitalize on their strengths while minimizing business activities that are not core functions.

—John K. Borchardt

compare insource

Examples of outsource in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Epic doesn’t outsource any incoming calls to third parties, the company says, so staff members are responsible for picking up the phone 24/7. —Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2025

More: Ascension Wisconsin plans to outsource staffing of its ICU doctors, raising concerns about patient safety Ascension Wisconsin has more than a dozen hospitals in southeast Wisconsin and the Fox Valley. —Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Tesla has already signed deals to outsource parts of its AI work. —PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2025

Instead, Tarrant County will outsource the work of the department, which provides temporary financial assistance to individuals and families for rent, mortgage, utilities, hygiene items and transportation, according to commissioners. —Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for outsource

• concourse
• divorce
• endorse
• enforce
• indorse
• midcourse
• perforce
• racecourse
• racehorse
• remorse
• seahorse
• workforce