outpost

noun

out·​post ˈau̇t-ˌpōst How to pronounce outpost (audio)
1
a
: a security detachment dispatched by a main body of troops to protect it from enemy surprise
b
: a military base established by treaty or agreement in another country
2
a
: an outlying or frontier settlement
b
: an outlying branch or position of a main organization or group

Examples of outpost in a Sentence

an American outpost in Africa The city was established as a military outpost in the 1800s. a remote outpost of the old British Empire
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.
Space stations and planetary outposts must be designed to last, their components recycled and repurposed. Rick Tumlinson, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2025 The commercial galleries Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and Jeffrey Deitch, each of whom has LA outposts, also contributed. Tessa Solomon For Artnews, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2025 In 1740, when Boston was a colonial outpost of 16,500 people, an extravagantly wealthy merchant named Peter Faneuil offered his city a gift. Michael Snyder, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025 Silver Lyan, The City’s Most Idiosyncratic Cocktail Lounge Over in Penn Quarter, the cocktail menu changes annually at Silver Lyan, the extremely creative/boundary pushing and first U.S. outpost of global innovator Ryan Chetiyawardana’s (aka Mr. Lyan’s) award winning cocktail lounges. Laurie Werner, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for outpost 

Word History

First Known Use

1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of outpost was in 1720

Dictionary Entries Near outpost

Cite this Entry

“Outpost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outpost. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

outpost

noun
out·​post ˈau̇t-ˌpōst How to pronounce outpost (audio)
1
: a guard stationed at a distance from a military force or camp
2
: the position occupied by an outpost
3
: a settlement on a frontier or in a faraway place
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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