outlook

noun

out·​look ˈau̇t-ˌlu̇k 

1

a

: a place offering a view

b

: a view from a particular place

2

: point of view

a positive outlook on life

3

: the act of looking out

4

: the prospect for the future

… the outlook for steel demand in the United States

—Wall Street Jour.

Synonyms of outlook

• overlook
• observatory
• lookout
• tower

Choose the Right Synonym for outlook

prospect, outlook, anticipation, foretaste mean an advance realization of something to come.

prospect implies expectation of a particular event, condition, or development of definite interest or concern.

the prospect of a quiet weekend

outlook suggests a forecasting of the future.

a favorable outlook for the economy

anticipation implies a prospect or outlook that involves advance suffering or enjoyment of what is foreseen.

the anticipation of her arrival

foretaste implies an actual though brief or partial experience of something forthcoming.

the frost was a foretaste of winter

Examples of outlook in a Sentence

The students all seemed to have the same outlook.

Despite our differences in outlook, we got along together very well.

scenic outlooks along the highway

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, the market is stalled by surging mortgage rates, the compounding effect from years of rising home prices and an economic outlook dimmed by high inflation. — Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026

France, whose 10-year bond yield touched 5% last week for the first time since 2002, got a reprieve from recent turmoil after Moody’s decided to maintain its Aa3 credit rating and negative outlook on the nation. — Ananya Chetia,lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2026

Global energy outlook Executives from both firms stressed the project’s engineering demands. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026

After trading away their best defensive player, the outlook for the season was a bit low, but their defense has been surprisingly good. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for outlook

• betook
• casebook
• chapbook
• checkbook
• chinook
• codebook
• cookbook
• fishhook
• forsook
• guidebook
• handbook
• logbook

Kids Definition

outlook

noun

out·​look ˈau̇t-ˌlu̇k 

1

a

: a place offering a view

b

: a view from a particular place

2

: point of view

3

: conditions that seem to lie ahead

the outlook for business