outsider

noun

out·​sid·​er ˌau̇t-ˈsī-dər How to pronounce outsider (audio)
ˈau̇t-ˌsī-
1
: a person who does not belong to a particular group
2
chiefly British : a contender not expected to win
outsiderness noun

Examples of outsider in a Sentence

To outsiders, the ritual may seem strange. She felt like an outsider in her new school. An outsider defeated the champion! She was a rank outsider who managed to win.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The plenum will be closely monitored by outsiders for clues about the inner workings of China’s opaque ruling Communist Party. Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025 There are unanswered overtures from the choir’s pianist Horner (Robert Emms), a soft, vulnerable young man whose conscientious-objector status renders him a fellow outsider. Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 Oct. 2025 The things that Finn has to get past and deal with in the course of the movie are relatively simple, and what Gwen is dealing with is much more complicated in terms of her mother’s death and inheriting her spiritual gift and feeling like an outsider who’s awkward, crazy and freakish. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025 Serros writes with such an immediate intimacy, ranging from Catholic guilt in Planned Parenthood to feeling like an outsider amongst her Chicano classmates. Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for outsider

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of outsider was in 1800

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Cite this Entry

“Outsider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outsider. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

outsider

noun
out·​sid·​er (ˈ)au̇t-ˈsīd-ər How to pronounce outsider (audio)
: a person who does not belong to a particular group

More from Merriam-Webster on outsider

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