outback

American  

[out-bak, out-bak] / ˈaʊtˌbæk, ˈaʊtˈbæk /

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) Usually the outback the back country or remote settlements; the bush.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or located in the back country.

   outback settlements.

adverb

1. in or to the back country.

   They moved outback many years ago.

outback British  

/ ˈaʊtˌbæk /

noun

1. 1. the remote bush country of Australia

   2. ( as modifier )

      outback life

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Etymology

Origin of outback

First recorded in 1875–80; out + back ²

Explanation

In Australia, the outback is the remote, rural region where far more animals than humans live. If you travel to the outback, you may see kangaroos, dingoes, and emus. Some people think of the outback as a vast, dusty, red desert, but it actually contains many different ecosystems, including savannahs, mountain ranges, and woodlands. Although it makes up the majority of Australia's land mass (about 80 percent), the outback is sparsely populated. Indigenous Australians have lived in this part of the country for at least 50,000 years. Outback was coined in the late 19th century from the phrase "out in the back country."

Example Sentences

As I step out into this next phase of life, I do sometimes find myself missing the chaos of Hanoi or the wide-open spaces of the Australian outback.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

Police say they launched the largest search in the history of South Australia when four-year-old Gus Lamont was reported missing in late September from his family's Oak Park Station in the outback north of Adelaide.

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

"It's the freedom, the space you have to move," Breanna says, listing all the things she loves about her life, 1,600km north-east of Brisbane in Australia's sparsely-populated outback.

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025

But a female friend persuaded him to take the part - which saw his character journey across the outback with two drag queens, played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce.

From BBC • Aug. 17, 2025

At the end of the war, life returned to normal, and Shackleton began a world tour, speaking to audiences in big cities and outback villages about Endurance’s doomed voyage.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

• wilderness