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

The space agency shared a video showing fireworks over Los Angeles as seen from the Earth-orbiting outpost. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 July 2026

The first layer is a military outpost, like the facility Fox News Digital toured. — Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026

The 40-room property will feature a street-facing caffè and will house the Milan outpost of Dal Bolognese. — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 2 July 2026

And this is not an end in itself; NASA believes the knowledge gained from establishing such an outpost will help humanity make the next giant leap — to Mars. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 4 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for outpost

• almost
• engrossed
• foremost
• hindmost
• impost
• inmost
• lamppost
• leftmost
• necrosed
• pancoast
• rightmost
• riposte

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