outsider
noun
out·sid·er
ˌau̇t-ˈsī-dər 
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
His supporters see him as an outspoken outsider who can fix establishment politics.
—
Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
The people of both borderlands feel that outsiders, even their fellow Israelis, cannot fully understand their sense of vulnerability.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Amenities: Restaurant, bar, spa Insider Tip: On Saturday mornings, the hotel will open its courtyard to the local market, where the outsiders can buy local products from producers and farmers.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
But there was a lot of doubt from others and outsiders.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
The Nashville firmament has long been hostile to outsiders and Black country stars, despite the long, rich history of Black country music.
—Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 29 Mar. 2024
Choosing a political outsider as his running mate cemented Kennedy’s nontraditional campaign — and may help to boost his profile.
—Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 26 Mar. 2024
The board’s preferences for a candidate with an engineering background versus a finance background, as well as their preference for deep company knowledge versus an outsider perspective will play a crucial role in the decision.
—Corinne Post, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Channeling the colorful postmodernism of the 1980s, Pee-wee’s world was an outsider artist’s pastiche of psychedelia, hippiedom and joyous toddlerhood.
—Evan Moffitt, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
The people of both borderlands feel that outsiders, even their fellow Israelis, cannot fully understand their sense of vulnerability.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Amenities: Restaurant, bar, spa Insider Tip: On Saturday mornings, the hotel will open its courtyard to the local market, where the outsiders can buy local products from producers and farmers.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
But there was a lot of doubt from others and outsiders.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
The Nashville firmament has long been hostile to outsiders and Black country stars, despite the long, rich history of Black country music.
—Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 29 Mar. 2024
Choosing a political outsider as his running mate cemented Kennedy’s nontraditional campaign — and may help to boost his profile.
—Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 26 Mar. 2024
The board’s preferences for a candidate with an engineering background versus a finance background, as well as their preference for deep company knowledge versus an outsider perspective will play a crucial role in the decision.
—Corinne Post, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Channeling the colorful postmodernism of the 1980s, Pee-wee’s world was an outsider artist’s pastiche of psychedelia, hippiedom and joyous toddlerhood.
—Evan Moffitt, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
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
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Cite this Entry
“Outsider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outsider. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
outsider
noun
out·sid·er
(ˈ)au̇t-ˈsīd-ər
: a person who does not belong to a particular group
More from Merriam-Webster on outsider
Nglish: Translation of outsider for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of outsider for Arabic Speakers
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