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
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.
And outsiders are not the only threat. Lionel Laurent, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025 Scatological attacks are usually the province of outsiders trying to cut the powerful down to size. Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025 Erika Wright, a parent who leads the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition, which advocates for public schools, said the state’s deep-red politics might lead outsiders to think Oklahomans support state leaders pushing education far to the right. Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2025 Having two fellow cohorts who are both women, who are both considered outsiders, who are both women of color, navigating a very specific set of challenges, that dynamic and the betrayal, ultimately, what happens is so tragic to me. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for outsider

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of outsider was in 1800

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Outsider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outsider. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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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