out·right
ˌau̇t-ˈrīt 
1
: in entirety : completely
rejected the proposal outright
outright refuses to cooperate with law enforcement—
Tim Murphy
Tim Murphy2
: on the spot : instantaneously
was killed outright
3
: without lien (see lien sense 1) or encumbrance (see encumbrance sense 2)
purchased the property outright for cash
4
: without restraint or reservation
laughed outright
cried outright
5
archaic
: straight ahead : directly
out·right
ˈau̇t-ˌrīt
1
a
: being completely or exactly what is stated
—used to make a statement more forceful
That is 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
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
MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
But instead of being fired outright for a lack of battlefield success, Shoigu was moved sideways to a post as the secretary of Russia’s Security Council.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2025
Beyond the outright annihilation of people and the considerable trauma that brought onto people, leftist regimes inflicted considerable misery in myriad other ways.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outright
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adverb
What To Know The fast-food chain isn’t planning to close all of its struggling restaurants outright.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
But instead of being fired outright for a lack of battlefield success, Shoigu was moved sideways to a post as the secretary of Russia’s Security Council.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
The win gave Bowie (8-2, 7-0) back-to-back outright district championships for the first time in program history.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2025
Beyond the outright annihilation of people and the considerable trauma that brought onto people, leftist regimes inflicted considerable misery in myriad other ways.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outright
Cite this Entry
“Outright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outright. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
outright
1 of 2 adverb
out·right
(ˈ)au̇t-ˈrīt
1
a
: in entirety : completely
sold outright
b
: without holding back
laughed outright
2
: on the spot : instantaneously
killed outright
outright
2 of 2 adjective
out·right
ˈau̇t-ˌrīt
1
: being exactly what is stated
an outright lie
2
: given without restriction
an outright gift
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share