output

1 of 2

noun

out·​put ˈau̇t-ˌpu̇t 

1

: something produced: such as

a

: mineral, agricultural, or industrial production

steel output

b

: mental or artistic production

literary output

c

: the amount produced by a person in a given time

d

: power or energy produced or delivered by a machine or system (as for storage or for conversion in kind or in characteristics)

generator output

solar X-ray output

e

: the information produced by a computer

2

: the act, process, or an instance of producing

3

: the terminal for the output on an electrical device

output

2 of 2

verb

outputted or output; outputting

transitive verb

: to produce as output

Synonyms

Noun

• affair
• fruit
• handiwork
• labor
• produce
• product
• production
• thing
• work
• yield

Examples of output in a Sentence

Noun

stars with large energy outputs

The computer's output is shown on this screen.

outputs of up to 400 watts

the television's video and audio outputs

Verb

Computers output data very quickly.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Salehi had become a key voice of anti-government dissent in Iran, strongly criticizing the repressive nature of the Iranian regime through his musical output and social media posts. —Niamh Kennedy, CNN, 22 June 2024

Carbon emissions from economic growth can be understood as the product of four factors: population growth, growth in economic output per person, changes in the amount of energy needed for economic production, and the change in how much carbon dioxide is released when energy is consumed. —Editorial Board, Washington Post, 21 June 2024

Verb

The software also outputs a line of best fit, which describes the general trend of your data, as shown below. —Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 7 Sep. 2023

The function takes a number x as an input, and outputs another number. —Steve Nadis, Quanta Magazine, 31 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1858, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

output

1 of 2 noun

out·​put ˈau̇t-ˌpu̇t 

1

: something produced: as

a

: agricultural or industrial production

steel output

b

: mental or artistic production

writing output

c

: the amount produced by a person in a given time

d

: power or energy delivered or produced by a machine or system

light output of the sun

e

: the information produced by a computer

2

: a point at which something (as power, an electronic signal, or data) comes out

output

2 of 2 verb

outputted or output; outputting

: to produce as output

Medical Definition

output

noun

out·​put ˈau̇t-ˌpu̇t 

: the amount of energy or matter discharged usually within a specified time by a bodily system or organ

renal output

urinary output

see cardiac output