outcome

noun

out·​come ˈau̇t-ˌkəm How to pronounce outcome (audio)
Synonyms of outcome
: something that follows as a result or consequence
a surprising outcome
patient outcomes of bypass surgery
We are still awaiting the final outcome of the trial.

Synonyms of outcome

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of outcome in a Sentence

the outcome of the election We are still awaiting the final outcome of the trial. There are two possible outcomes.
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 how did new technology within the World Cup ball help determine the outcome? — Ben Church, CNN Money, 3 July 2026 The best bundles remove friction and deliver a complete outcome; if customers have to think too hard about why the products belong together, the bundle is already broken. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Instead, they must be guided by the real-time facts of each situation, measure their key performance indicators carefully, and weigh the probabilities of different possible outcomes. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 3 July 2026 After a state audit in 2024 found the state was not consistently tracking outcomes for the homelessness funding, the state started requiring localities to report outcome data every month. — Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for outcome

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of outcome was in 1788

Rhymes for outcome

See All Rhymes for outcome

Browse Nearby Words

out-college
outcome
outcomer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Outcome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outcome. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on outcome

Nglish: Translation of outcome for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All