outpost

[out-pohst]

noun

1. a station established at a distance from the main body of an army to protect it from surprise attack.

   We keep only a small garrison of men at our desert outposts.

2. the body of troops stationed there; detachment or perimeter guard.

3. an outlying settlement, installation, position, etc.

outpost

/ ˈaʊtˌpəʊst /

noun

1. military

   1. a position stationed at a distance from the area occupied by a major formation

   2. the troops assigned to such a position

2. an outlying settlement or position

3. a limit or frontier

Word History and Origins

Origin of outpost¹

First recorded in 1750–60; out- + post ²

Example Sentences

Caracas also closed its embassy in Australia while opening new outposts in Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso, which it called "strategic partners in the fight" against "hegemonic pressures".

Read more on BBC

Down in the ship’s hold was construction material needed to upgrade the northernmost military outpost, a Canadian spy station providing crucial intelligence on Russia’s military.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

For seven days in early October, Anthropic’s large language model Claude was the brand-in-residence at the Air Mail newsstand, the physical outpost for the digital magazine founded by former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter.

Read more on MarketWatch

In March 2025, the IDF said some of Meny's remains had been found at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad outpost in Rafah, but that the group was believed to be holding the rest.

Read more on BBC

Chinatown’s Paper Plant Co. is her stationery outpost, made of two small storefronts that share a space with Thank You Coffee and boast outdoor seating.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• frontier 
• settlement 
• station