outright

adverb

out·right | \ˌau̇t-ˈrīt

Definition of outright

(Entry 1 of 2)

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 sense 1) or encumbrance (see encumbrance sense 2) purchased the property outright for cash

outright

adjective

out·right | \ˈau̇t-ˌrīt

Definition of outright (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

Other Words from outright Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about outright

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Examples of outright in a Sentence

Adverb

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.

Adjective

I was surprised by their outright rejection of the idea.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

The eight-person race for Uresti’s seat sets up an all but certain runoff, because no candidate is likely to grab the 50 percent-plus-one-vote share needed to win outright. — Jasper Scherer, San Antonio Express-News, "Crowded races shapes up for Carlos Uresti’s Senate seat," 26 June 2018 Not telling falsehoods, misstating the facts, or spreading misinformation—but outright lying. — Emily Atkin, The New Republic, "Is Scott Pruitt a Liar?," 10 Apr. 2018 Often the con men are expert storytellers, weaving an illusion of affinity and trust out of half-truths and outright lies. — Daniel Mendelsohn, Town & Country, "How Notorious White-Collar Criminals Use Their Friends and Social Connections," 4 Nov. 2016 The shocking confessions involve everything from dirty sheets to outright lying to guests. — Maria Carter, Woman's Day, "Hotel Workers Confess What They Really Do When You're Not Around," 11 Jan. 2016 Broad interest comes from the fact that Crawford can win a team 3 to 4 close games outright with hot shooting. — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, "The Best Players Left in NBA Free Agency," 9 July 2018 And in addition to that motivation, the French had seemed to find their footing with two wins in its first two games, Meanwhile, Denmark could have won the group outright with a victory. — Andrew Das, New York Times, "France and Denmark Advance After World Cup’s First 0-0 Draw," 27 June 2018 Romney and Kennedy were forced into a runoff primary when neither won 60 percent of delegates’ votes to secure the nomination outright at the state GOP convention in April. — Washington Post, "Mitt Romney up against state lawmaker in Senate primary," 26 June 2018 Neither won 60 percent of delegates’ votes to secure the nomination outright. — Lindsay Whitehurst, BostonGlobe.com, "As Romney runs for Senate in Utah, Trump is part of the story," 24 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

And 20 years later, Friday Night Lights, which NBC had pushed off onto DirecTV to avoid having to outright cancel it, landed its only drama series nom for its final season. — Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "Emmys: Will Shows Like 'Scandal' and 'The Americans' Win After Taking Their Final Bow?," 19 June 2018 But the actions of others, either through inexperience, ignorance, arrogance or sometimes outright illegality, can diminish or even ruin the day. — Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Boat ramps a gateway to fun or frustration," 28 June 2018 Although outright fighting has stopped, the peace agreement has not been implemented and relations between the two countries have remained tense. — Washington Post, "Eritrean delegation in Ethiopia for peace talks," 26 June 2018 The lack of traditional set will probably be the most surprising aspect of this show for frequent PowPAC attendees who have come to expect extensive, if not outright elaborate, sets created by its volunteers. — Elizabeth Marie Himchak, Pomerado News, "REVIEW: 'Romeo and Juliet' in Poway, a mix of modern with tradition," 11 July 2018 The Lions stopped playing him because of his outright refusal to block anyone, anywhere, ever. — Gary Gramling, SI.com, "David Johnson Is No. 2, Be Patient and Wait for Luck and Mahomes, the Non-Saquon Rookie You Want," 6 July 2018 What should people be calling for policy-wise then, if not outright abolition? — Luke Darby, GQ, "Is There a Better Way Forward Than Abolishing ICE?," 27 June 2018 Basically, Harry pretty much outright wins the award for being the best son-in-law of all time. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Doria Ragland's Highlight from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Royal Wedding Is Adorable," 1 June 2018 Through these strategies, the Klan probably drew in supporters who might have opposed outright discrimination against Catholics. — Longreads, "Oregon’s Racist Past," 12 July 2018

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.