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Synonyms

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.

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. the remote bush country of Australia

    2. ( as modifier )

      outback life
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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."

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Vocabulary lists containing outback

Australia and New Zealand - Introductory

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Australia and New Zealand - Middle School and High School

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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.

The company has been taking steps to improve dining experiences, drive brand relevancy and remodel restaurants across its portfolio, particularly at its Outback Steakhouse banner.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Florida man sues Outback Steakhouse after toilet collapse.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 29, 2025

The Outback goes by many names: the Bush, the Never-Never, Sunburned Country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025

Wright is best known globally as the star of National Geographic's Outback Wrangler and Netflix's Wild Croc Territory reality shows.

From BBC • Aug. 29, 2025

She bites back her worry and watches from the family-room window as I hop, swing, and hobble out to the curb and into Fiona’s hand-me-down Subaru Outback.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

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.