outside voice

noun

plural outside voices

1

: a person whose opinion, perspective, etc. differs from one's own or from that of a particular group

By being an objective outside voice, the board chair can reduce the likelihood of extreme performance outcomes …

—Ryan Krause et al.

Convinced I was right, I sought an outside voice: Judge John Hodgman, the comedian who writes a satiric ethical advice column for The New York Times Magazine. I explained our impasse in an email, and Hodgman replied in the May 20 issue …

—Andrew Silow-Carroll

The hard part about relationships is just trying to be in one without a million outside voices interfering.

—Travis Scott, quoted at usmagazine.com

My personal insight and advice to you is … to quiet outside voices, grow a backbone, and to be in charge of your life …

—Amy Dickinson

also : an opinion, perspective, etc. that differs from one's own or that of a particular group

This is a painstakingly crafted treatise on what it's like to live inside your own mind in an age where millions of outside voices are bombarding that mind endlessly.

—Drew Magary

… a long piece, with some good outside voices in it, was unplanned and written in one intense sprint.

—Bradford Doolittle

2

: a volume of speaking that is typically considered too loud to be used indoors (as at home or school)

… corrections like "sit still" or "you're using your outside voice, please use your inside voice" …

—Nancy Doyle

… at exactly the moment we were walking past a lineup at the check-out, in all innocence, she [a young child] used her loud outside voice and asked: "What colour are your panties, Grandma?"

—Helene Oseen

compare inside voice

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1