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 The strike is an early test for Ortberg, a Boeing outsider who became CEO in August. David Koenig and Manuel Valdes, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024 Fears about purportedly dangerous immigrant behavior and the way that outsiders would undermine the Anglo-Saxon family drove the successful push to ban alcohol, which aimed to impose a particular Christian vision of morality and family on America. Elizabeth Marshall / Made By History, TIME, 23 Oct. 2024 The intrigue: Former Dallas mayors Mike Rawlings, Ron Kirk, Tom Leppert and Laura Miller are among a large group of former and current city leaders who oppose the propositions, saying the effort is funded by wealthy outsiders. Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 23 Oct. 2024 At prestige outlets—many of which do don the armor of impartiality—the imbalance skews a lot further to the left than what many outsiders might imagine. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for outsider 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outsider.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of outsider was in 1800

Dictionary Entries Near outsider

Cite this Entry

“Outsider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outsider. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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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