outsource
verb
out·source
ˈau̇t-ˌsȯrs 
outsourced; outsourcing; outsources
: to procure (something, such as some goods or services needed by a business or organization) from outside sources and especially from foreign or nonunion suppliers : to contract for work, jobs, etc., to be done by outside or foreign workers
decided to outsource some back-office operations
Some services and aspects of production were outsourced to cut costs.
Firms outsource to capitalize on their strengths while minimizing business activities that are not core functions.—
John K. Borchardt
compare insource
John K. BorchardtExamples of outsource in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And as The Mind Company’s work suggests, the future may belong not to those who outsource their minds—but to those who continue to train them.
—Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
More than 80 people are losing their jobs in the Charlotte region at two textiles plants as the company moves to outsource part of its work.
—Charlotte Observer, 28 Jan. 2026
If the vendor is already at capacity with production orders and new work hits the floor, the vendor will outsource the work to meet the deadline.
—Raj Dhiman, Sourcing Journal, 23 Jan. 2026
When developing new medical devices, OEMs typically outsource certain components to third parties, who then become responsible for those parts for the entire lifecycle of the product.
—Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outsource
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Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
More than 80 people are losing their jobs in the Charlotte region at two textiles plants as the company moves to outsource part of its work.
—Charlotte Observer, 28 Jan. 2026
If the vendor is already at capacity with production orders and new work hits the floor, the vendor will outsource the work to meet the deadline.
—Raj Dhiman, Sourcing Journal, 23 Jan. 2026
When developing new medical devices, OEMs typically outsource certain components to third parties, who then become responsible for those parts for the entire lifecycle of the product.
—Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outsource
Cite this Entry
“Outsource.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outsource. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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