outcast

1 of 2

noun

out·​cast ˈau̇t-ˌkast 

1

: one that is cast out or refused acceptance (as by society)

2

[Scots cast out to quarrel] Scotland : quarrel

outcast

2 of 2

adjective

1

: rejected or cast out by society

I felt no longer outcast, vagrant, and disowned by the wide world.

—Charlotte Brontë

He breaks through the stereotype and humanizes this outcast group of young people.

—Publishers Weekly

Tom was like the rest of the respectable boys, in that he envied Huckleberry his gaudy outcast condition, and was under strict orders not to play with him.

—Mark Twain

2

: thrown aside : discarded

a pile of outcast furniture

outcast beliefs

Synonyms

Noun

• castaway
• castoff
• leper
• offscouring
• pariah
• reject

Examples of outcast in a Sentence

Noun

She felt like a social outcast.

the professor is something of an outcast in the halls of academe now that his former support of a dictatorial regime has become public

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Two courageous outcasts, Leon (Felton) and Chloe (Bugulova), become embroiled in a battle for justice within a society fractured by genetic disparity and in the grip of corrupt politicians. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 May 2024

Saltburn explores obsession and class divisions in mid-2000s Britain, following outcast Oxford student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) and his intense connection with Felix (Jacob Elordi), a popular student who comes from enormous wealth. —Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 14 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

outcast

noun

out·​cast -ˌkast 

: a person who is cast out by society : pariah

outcast adjective