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
The painstaking work to preserve the species might seem odd to outsiders, but the parrot is just one of many spirited and strange avians in a country where birds reign supreme.
—
Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Exemptions went into effect at the end of last year that remove the requirement for a local HQ if the project is small enough (less than $267,000), technical enough, or an offer is cheap enough — an outsider bidding 25% under local competitors would qualify.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 24 Feb. 2026
The first outsiders came from Hawaii, starting with Takamiyama, who learned about sumo from Japanese Americans and took it up as training while playing high school football.
—Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Locals know and care a lot more about their communities than outsiders, and attempts by outsiders to impose development could anger some voters.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outsider
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Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Exemptions went into effect at the end of last year that remove the requirement for a local HQ if the project is small enough (less than $267,000), technical enough, or an offer is cheap enough — an outsider bidding 25% under local competitors would qualify.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 24 Feb. 2026
The first outsiders came from Hawaii, starting with Takamiyama, who learned about sumo from Japanese Americans and took it up as training while playing high school football.
—Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Locals know and care a lot more about their communities than outsiders, and attempts by outsiders to impose development could anger some voters.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outsider
Cite this Entry
“Outsider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outsider. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
outsider
noun
out·sid·er
(ˈ)au̇t-ˈsīd-ər
: a person who does not belong to a particular group
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