outright

play

adverb out·right \ ˌau̇t-ˈrīt \

Definition of outright

1 archaic :straight ahead :directly

2 :in entirety :completely

rejected the proposal outright

outright refuses to cooperate with law enforcement
—Tim Murphy

3 :without restraint or reservation

laughed outright

cried outright

4 :on the spot :instantaneously

was killed outright

5 :without lien (see lien 1) or encumbrance (see encumbrance 2)

purchased the property outright for cash

See outright defined for English-language learners

See outright defined for kids

Examples of outright in a Sentence

She won the competition outright.
The painting is now owned outright by the museum.
Their house was destroyed outright by the fire.
I bought the car outright.

Recent Examples of outright from the Web

The Sun, who have first place outright in the Eastern Conference after Washington lost to San Antonio, are in the middle of a five-game homestand with former UConn guard Sue Bird and Seattle next up on Tuesday.

— william s. paxton, courant.com, "Sun Overcome 33 Diana Taurasi Points In 93-92 Win," 5 Aug. 2017
A motion to deny the project outright died without a second.

— john marks, charlotteobserver, "Planners disliked 842 new homes near Charlotte. They could end up with twice as many.," 1 Aug. 2017
Republicans could gut the filibuster, either killing it outright or overriding the parliamentarian regarding what’s allowed under reconciliation, but that could have dire consequences once Democrats regain power.

— robert verbruggen, National Review, "Maybe Health Care Was Impossible," 31 July 2017
Few 2017 films are as outright weird as Janicza Bravo's indie, about a man (Brett Gelman) whose life falls apart after he's dumped by his girlfriend (Judy Greer).

— nick schager, Esquire, "Here Are the Must-Stream Movies of August 2017," 28 July 2017
The realities of police brutality came to light, even though the commission did not address racial disparities outright.

— katie nodjimbadem, Smithsonian, "The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.," 27 July 2017
Most lenders will require those with a mortgage to have wind coverage, but increasingly, homeowners who own their homes outright are going bare, say agents.

— by andrea januta, miamiherald, "Wondering if your homeowner’s insurance will protect you? You’re not alone," 16 July 2017
If the districts win outright, the additional funding needed will almost certainly require additional taxes or extensive cuts.

— jonathan shorman, kansascity, "What you need to know as Kansas Supreme Court takes up school funding case Tuesday," 15 July 2017
In effect, the company is investing one year of revenue into one project—a huge, if not outright crazy, risk.

— chris lee, MSNBC Newsweek, "Not a Marvel Movie: 'Valerian' Director on His Epic and Expensive Sci-Fi Adapted From a Graphic Novel," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'outright.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of outright

14th century

outright

play

adjective out·right \ ˈau̇t-ˌrīt \

Definition of outright

1 a :being completely or exactly what is stated

an outright lie

b :given without reservation

outright grants for research

c :made without encumbrance or lien

an outright sale

2 archaic :proceeding directly onward

—

outrightly

adverb

See outright defined for English-language learners

Examples of outright in a Sentence

I was surprised by their outright rejection of the idea.

Recent Examples of outright from the Web

The school’s last FCS playoff appearance came in 2001 — the same year as its last outright conference championship.

— ethan bauer, miamiherald, "FAMU dreams of a return to its former glory in 2017," 29 Aug. 2017
Since joining the Mountain West in 2011, the Broncos have won a tri-championship in 2012 and an outright championship in 2014.

— chadd cripe, idahostatesman, "Forget Top 25 and major bowls. Boise State football needs to master its division first.," 27 Aug. 2017
Here’s Ian: Sarsour seems to have no qualms about associating with outright extremism, either.

— david french, National Review, "Media, Tell the Truth: The Women’s March and Black Lives Matter Embrace Terrorists," 19 July 2017
My outright disrespect for authority is problematic to say the least, and completely destructive to say the worst.

— oliver gettell, EW.com, "Shia LaBeouf apologizes after racist arrest video surfaces: 'It is a new low'," 13 July 2017
Should Syria become a theater of outright war between the United States and Russia, both nuclear powers with enormous (if enormously unequal) military might, the Syrian humanitarian crisis would grow exponentially.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING," 5 July 2017
Jesse Hughes ensures that Eagles of Death Metal maintains its absurd qualities without spilling over into outright parody.

— The Courier-Journal, "Nappy Roots lead the Top 5 concert lineup June 22-25," 20 June 2017
Wojciechowski back in Louisville Right-hander Asher Wojciechowski cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Louisville.

— c. trent rosecrans, Cincinnati.com, "Reds notes: Homer Bailey nearly ready for return," 20 June 2017
The only major city to elect a mayor outright Sunday was Palermo, where 40 percent is the threshold to win in the first round.

— frances d'emilio, The Seattle Times, "Populists’ surge in Italy stops in voting for Italy’s mayors," 12 June 2017

First Known Use of outright

1532

outright Synonyms

OUTRIGHT Defined for English Language Learners

outright

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adverb

Definition of outright for English Language Learners

: in a full and complete way
: quickly and completely : not gradually
: in one payment of money

outright

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adjective

Definition of outright for English Language Learners

: complete and total
: not limited in any way : done, made, or given in a complete way

OUTRIGHT Defined for Kids

outright

play

adverb out·right \ au̇t-ˈrīt \

Definition of outright for Students

1 :completely

They rejected the idea outright.

2 :without holding back

He laughed outright at the story.

3 :quickly and entirely

Fire destroyed the house outright.

outright

play

adjective out·right \ ˈau̇t-ˌrīt \

Definition of outright for Students

1 :complete and total :very clear or obvious

an outright lie

2 :done, made, or given with no restrictions or exceptions

an outright gift

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Examples of outright in a Sentence

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First Known Use of outright

outright

Definition of outright

outrightly

Examples of outright in a Sentence

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outright Synonyms

Synonyms

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OUTRIGHT Defined for English Language Learners

outright

Definition of outright for English Language Learners

outright

Definition of outright for English Language Learners

OUTRIGHT Defined for Kids

outright

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outright

Definition of outright for Students

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