outsider

American  

[out-sahy-der] / ˌaʊtˈsaɪ dər /

noun

• outsiders
  plural

1. a person not belonging to a particular group, set, party, etc..

   Society often regards the artist as an outsider.

2. a person unconnected or unacquainted with the matter in question.

   Not being a parent, I was regarded as an outsider.

3. a racehorse, sports team, or other competitor not considered likely to win or succeed.

4. a person or thing not within an enclosure, boundary, etc.

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outsider British  

/ ˌaʊtˈsaɪdə /

noun

1. a person or thing excluded from or not a member of a set, group, etc

2. a contestant, esp a horse, thought unlikely to win in a race

3. (in the north) a person who does not live in the Arctic regions

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• outsiders
  plural

Etymology

Origin of outsider

First recorded in 1790–1800; outside + -er ¹

Explanation

An outsider is a stranger — someone who doesn't fit in, or someone who observes a group from afar. An outsider stands outside the group, looking in. If you go through high school without belonging to any particular group — you're not a jock, a nerd, or an artist, for example — you might feel like an outsider. Having a brand new job can also put you in the position of being an outsider, especially if you have no experience in the profession. To an outsider, the way a busy restaurant works might seem chaotic and random, for example. To an insider, on the other hand, it might all make perfect sense.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

outsider outsiders

Being an outsider looking in remains a central theme across her novels, including her other critically acclaimed works, and it resonates deeply with readers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

You said earlier that Zoe is an outsider.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

The wrong team, the wrong fan, by every conventional measure an outsider.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

Brian Dyson, who grew up on a ranch in Argentina, was an outsider when he was named chief executive of Coca-Cola’s USA division in 1978.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The class had been together for a year, and she was the outsider.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

I argued that attempting to police outsiders would be too cumbersome and that we don’t yet know enough about AI to make sensible uniform rules governing its use.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The Muslim-majority region, battling some of India's highest unemployment rates, has become increasingly dependent on outsiders to perform jobs that many locals consider menial, including domestic work, agriculture and construction.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

Los Angeles renters are looking for a way out, while few outsiders are looking for a way in.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

He said Stacy was dealing with complex and conflicting circumstances - the fear that someone who "should" have been protecting her was dangerous, as well as "fear from outsiders looking in".

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

In the late 1980s, another group of outsiders took note of Clarkston: the nonprofit agencies that resettle the tens of thousands of refugees accepted into the United States each year.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John

Related Words

• alien
• foreigner
• interloper
• newcomer
• stranger