outlier

noun

out·​li·​er ˈau̇t-ˌlī(-ə)r 

1

: a person whose residence and place of business are at a distance

His house was a place of refuge for outliers.

2

: something (such as a geologic feature) that is situated away from or classed differently from a main or related body

The island is an outlier on the southeast side of the archipelago.

3

a

: a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others of the sample

Values that are outliers give disproportionate weight to larger over smaller values.

b

: a person or thing that is atypical within a particular group, class, or category

She was an outlier when she launched her cruelty-free, sustainably minded brand in 2001, but has found the centre of gravity shifting in her direction.

—Jess Cartner-Morley

Among the world's wealthy nations, the United States is an outlier on this issue: Americans have the lowest national minimum wage, relative to the median wage, of any of the wealthy nations represented in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

—Christopher Ingraham

Examples of outlier in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To be sure, these brands are outliers among top luxury labels that have historically prized prestige over sustainability. —Marina Lopes, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024

Portugal's Madeira Walking & Hiking Tour Portugal remains one of America’s favorite European destinations, yet the Portuguese island of Madeira is still an outlier. —Everett Potter, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

State of play: Any outlier acts by Fetterman could be amplified next year when the Senate loses strong swing state and red-state voices in Manchin, Sinema and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.). —Erin Doherty, Axios, 15 Dec. 2024

While most of the Magnificent 7 names are achieving all-time highs in December 2024, one notable outlier has been showing signs of weakness for months. —David Keller, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 3b