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.
One of the world’s most dynamic and wealthy countries is about to open its real estate market to outsiders – for the first time. Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025 But the explosion of interest in the experiences business is not without substantial risk, not necessarily from outsiders entering the space (the barrier for entry remains stubbornly high), but from financial and external factors. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025 For all the novel’s antic vignettes about magic flutes and egg children and dragon soup, there’s something deeply private about The Stone Door, an insistence that no reader, no outsider, be fully allowed to understand its plot. Celia Bell july 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025 Smith adds that parts of Central Appalachia are more diverse than some outsiders realize and that many here like NPR. Frank Langfitt, NPR, 20 July 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 29 Jul. 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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