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

There’s the restaurant, the trattoria, the café, the Tuscan-Oriental fusion spot, and a new outpost inside the Helvetia & Bristol Hotel. — Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2026

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 new outpost will be headed up by Rafa Sardina, the celebrated, Grammy-winning producer and engineer, who’s worked with D’Angelo, Lady Gaga, Plácido Domingo, Alejandro Sanz, Elvis Costello, Rosalía, Stevie Wonder, and many more. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 July 2026

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