outlook

American  

[aut-look] / ˈaʊtˌlʊk /

noun

• outlooks
  plural

1. the view or prospect from a particular place.

   Synonyms:

   scene

2. mental attitude or view; point of view.

   one's outlook on life.

   Synonyms:

   approach, position, viewpoint, attitude

3. prospect of the future.

   the political outlook.

   Synonyms:

   scene

4. the place from which an observer looks out; lookout.

5. the act or state of looking out.

6. a watch kept; vigilance; lookout.

   a careful outlook to prevent forest fires.

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outlook British  

/ ˈaʊtˌlʊk /

noun

1. a mental attitude or point of view

2. the probable or expected condition or outcome of something

   the weather outlook

3. the view from a place

4. view or prospect

5. the act or state of looking out

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• outlooks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of outlook

First recorded in 1660–70; out- + look

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Explanation

The word outlook describes a belief about the future. Your outlook on the awful present situation might make your outlook for the future turn grim. The noun outlook can also mean the practice of looking out. A guard's outlook on the bank vault must stay watchful and attentive in case there's an attempted robbery. Your outlook on your first job out of college was one of promise and excitement. The word can also mean a characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will handle situations. A pessimistic outlook on life will make you see only the negative.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

outlook outlooks

Shares are down 0.3% after Cummins trims its outlook.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Moderna, best known for advancing mRNA technology, raised its revenue outlook for the year, saying it now expects revenue to grow as much as 25% in 2026.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

The new outlook came as Humana reported third-quarter consolidated income of $216 million, up from $134 million a year earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

“Building on this momentum, we increased our full-year revenue growth outlook to 15%-25%,” said Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel in a statement.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

I’ve changed quite drastically, everything about me is different: my opinions, ideas, critical outlook.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

It speculates it is due to investors rotating out of trades related to artificial intelligence, as opposed to stellar updates on banks’ profit outlooks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

The weight of high interest rates on Americans’ financial outlooks showed up in consumer sentiment data from the University of Michigan last week.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

While growth was strong across earnings, credit and margin outlooks, investors are still feeling nervous about the potential of a Fed rate hike and its impact on banks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

On Tuesday, the IMF will unveil its global economic forecast, along with detailed regional outlooks through the week, as policymakers set about tackling the challenges darkening the economic horizon.

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

In reality, I regularly observe in New Guinea that native societies there differ greatly from each other in their prevalent outlooks.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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Related Words

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