outage

noun

out·​age ˈau̇-tij 

1

: a quantity or bulk of something lost in transportation or storage

2

a

: a failure or interruption in use or functioning

b

: a period of interruption especially of electric current

Examples of outage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The warning has in effect cut off fuel to the island, leading to widespread power outages that affect basic activities such as cooking, the water supply and internet and telephone services. — Farnoush Amiri, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

The warning has effectively cut off fuel to the island, leading to widespread power outages that affect basic activities such as cooking, the water supply and internet and telephone services. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

The Federal Election Commission experienced a filing system outage on Tuesday, hindering candidates and political action committees from filing 24- and 48-hour finance reports with a week to go before the midterm elections. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026

To use the Fathom as an emergency battery during outages, customers will also need Ford’s newer Home Backup Panel. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1