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 U.S.

—Wall Street Jour.

Synonyms

• lookout
• observatory
• overlook

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

Snowflake raised its full-year sales outlook for product revenue and sees its current quarter sales just above analysts' expectations. —Medora Lee, USA Today, 23 May 2025

And there’s a 2016 review published in The Encyclopedia of Mental Health to back up the concept that your outlook on how a situation will play out (positive or negative) can influence the outcome. —Mara Santilli, SELF, 22 May 2025

The hurricane season outlook forecasts either below, near, or above average activity for the upcoming season. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 May 2025

Elster’s singular outlook and dystopian sensibilities are connected to her early career styling counter-culture heroes, such as Bowie, Trent Reznor, Chloe Sevigny, Redman and Method Man from Wu-Tang, and Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth. —Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

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
• hornbook

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