outgoing
Americanadjective
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going out; departing.
outgoing trains.
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leaving or retiring from a position or office.
A farewell party was given for the outgoing members of the board of directors.
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addressed and ready for posting.
outgoing mail.
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of or relating to food prepared for delivery or consumption off the premises.
outgoing orders at the pizza parlor.
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interested in and responsive to others; friendly; sociable.
an outgoing personality.
noun
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Chiefly British. Usually outgoings. expenses; money expended.
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the act of going out.
The ship's outgoing proved more difficult than its incoming.
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something that goes out; effluence.
an outgoing measured in kilowatt hours.
adjective
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departing; leaving
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leaving or retiring from office
the outgoing chairman
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friendly and sociable
noun
Etymology
Origin of outgoing
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (gerund); out- + going
Explanation
The adjective outgoing describes someone with a friendly, easy personality. Your outgoing friend might not understand how hard it is for shy people to speak in front of an audience. If you're the only member of your outgoing family who is reserved, you might feel silent and invisible in their sociable midst. People who are outgoing are perfectly comfortable in social situations. A completely different meaning of outgoing describes someone who is departing, like an employee who will soon retire, or an outgoing club treasurer who isn't running for re-election.
Vocabulary lists containing outgoing
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Postal workers would then check samples from large batches of outgoing ballots against that information before accepting them for delivery.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
Dismissed as “not a product guy,” the outgoing CEO proved that supply-chain mastery could take Apple to new heights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
In July, outgoing prime minister Sir Keir Starmer issued a formal apology to those mothers, telling them: "The shame is not yours... the shame is ours."
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Arsenal signed Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge to replace the outgoing Leandro Trossard, with the 24-year-old producing a remarkable 22 goals and 29 assists in all competitions last season for the Belgian club.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Bob Sproul and Ernest Lawrence were something of a matched pair: “big, outgoing, hearty men,” as Molly Lawrence described them.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
