outsider

noun

out·​sid·​er ˌau̇t-ˈsī-dər 

ˈau̇t-ˌsī-

1

: a person who does not belong to a particular group

2

chiefly British : a contender not expected to win

outsiderness noun

Synonyms of outsider

• stranger
• foreigner

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

Her rise has echoes of podcaster Ashley Flowers and blogger Jessica Red Krauss — media outsiders who tapped into deep veins of public interest. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Comedy has always been filled with outsiders and oddballs trying to make a living getting laughs. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2026

Perhaps due to his outsider background, Yormark was arguably one of the industry’s biggest proponents of bringing in private equity money, explicitly and relentlessly stating his interest in landing a PE deal for the Big 12. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026

The selection also features Dutch director Sabine Lubbe Bakker’s Premier Souffle, exploring whether a rebellious outsider can find her place in the world after years of isolation from her community. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for outsider

• collider
• confider
• divider
• insider
• provider
• cider
• cyder
• eider
• glider
• hider
• rider
• schneider

Kids Definition

outsider

noun

out·​sid·​er (ˈ)au̇t-ˈsīd-ər 

: a person who does not belong to a particular group