out-group
noun
: a group that is distinct from one's own and so usually an object of hostility or dislike compare in-group sense 1
Examples of out-group in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The sense of a cultural in- and out-group dissolved as niche communities grew and old-school ideas of coolness fell away.
—
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026
Would that kind of thing have seemed funny at the time, or maybe a clever way to avoid a topic either too personal or too fraught for out-group consumption?
—Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
Such tangible essentialism can give groups a concentrated sense of purpose and meaning—and may be coupled with a powerful urge to persecute members of out-groups.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
Posting is a method of enacting a degraded version of that much-vaunted thing, community, with its ever-changing roster of winners and losers, in-groups and out-groups, and mean girls and sweet guys.
—Paul McAdory, Them., 9 Dec. 2025
In this theory, individuals categorize themselves and others into in-groups and out-groups, which shapes perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours and that typically, people tend to favour those in their in-group.
—Ellen Choi, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Jokes create in-groups and out-groups of those who are laughing and those who are not.
—Lisa Hagen, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
Psychologists call these categories in-groups and out-groups.
—Julia Standefer, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2025
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Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026
Would that kind of thing have seemed funny at the time, or maybe a clever way to avoid a topic either too personal or too fraught for out-group consumption?
—Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
Such tangible essentialism can give groups a concentrated sense of purpose and meaning—and may be coupled with a powerful urge to persecute members of out-groups.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
Posting is a method of enacting a degraded version of that much-vaunted thing, community, with its ever-changing roster of winners and losers, in-groups and out-groups, and mean girls and sweet guys.
—Paul McAdory, Them., 9 Dec. 2025
In this theory, individuals categorize themselves and others into in-groups and out-groups, which shapes perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours and that typically, people tend to favour those in their in-group.
—Ellen Choi, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Jokes create in-groups and out-groups of those who are laughing and those who are not.
—Lisa Hagen, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
Psychologists call these categories in-groups and out-groups.
—Julia Standefer, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Out-group.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/out-group. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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