outgoing

adjective

out·​go·​ing ˈau̇t-ˌgō-iŋ 

-ˌgȯ(-)iŋ

1

a

: going away : departing

an outgoing ship

b

: retiring or withdrawing from a place or position

the outgoing president

c

: directed to an intended recipient

outgoing mail

2

: openly friendly and responsive : extroverted

His outgoing personality made him popular at school.

outgoingness noun

Synonyms

• boon
• clubbable
• clubable
• clubby
• companionable
• convivial
• extroverted
• extraverted
• gregarious
• sociable
• social

Examples of outgoing in a Sentence

Outgoing mail goes in this box.

a salesman whose aggressively outgoing personality could sometimes be overbearing

Recent Examples on the Web

What information must be provided with each incoming or outgoing transaction and how is that to be communicated to the bank (email, app, in person)? —Alissa Jubelirer, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024

The key difference is that this rare event involves two photons instead of one—both incoming and outgoing photons. —Charlie Wood, WIRED, 14 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

outgoing

adjective

out·​go·​ing ˈau̇t-ˌgō-iŋ 

1

a

: going out : departing

outgoing tide

b

: retiring from a position

the outgoing governor

2

: being at ease and friendly when dealing with others

an outgoing person