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• outward-bound
  outward-bound

  adjective

  headed in an outward direction, as toward foreign ports.
• Outward Bound
  Outward Bound

  noun

  a play (1923) by Sutton Vane.

outward-bound

¹ American  

[out-werd-bound] / ˈaʊt wərdˈbaʊnd /

adjective

1. headed in an outward direction, as toward foreign ports.

   We passed an outward-bound ship as we came into the harbor.

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Outward Bound ² American  

noun

1. a play (1923) by Sutton Vane.

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Outward Bound British  

noun

1. (in Britain) a scheme to provide adventure training for young people

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Etymology

Origin of outward-bound

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

outward-bound Outward Bound

In terms of performance, the bank scored higher net interest income, a closely-watched benchmark measuring the difference between revenue from lending and outward-bound interest payments.

From Barron's ● Jan. 13, 2026

Peter Manson remains implacably opposed to his son’s outward-bound ambitions.

From New York Times ● May 7, 2018

On distant seas, their dragon-prows went gleaming outward-bound ship.

From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2015

IT IS hard to rise to the top in business without doing an outward-bound course.

From Economist ● Oct. 2, 2014

By the Hamburg packet-ship Drei Heilige, we learn that the last outward-bound vessels have met rough weather, and a convict-ship, the Blast, was still more unfortunate.

From Luttrell Of Arran Complete by Charles James Lever

Originally from Zimbabwe, Nick has worked as an Outward Bound instructor in Africa and Britain.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2023

Upstairs live staffers for Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound, which leases the building from the city and operates in the surrounding park.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 8, 2022

Klein had worked with local conservation groups like Outward Bound Adventures, Tree People and Heal the Bay, and was familiar with the L.A. park system’s many unknown or underused amphitheaters and gathering places.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2022

But Halm, who spent 10 years as an instructor and director at the Northwest Outward Bound School, didn’t wait until her first child was pulk-sized.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2022

“He’s spending the summer doing Outward Bound, so he’ll have even more muscles when I see him next!”

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart