outdoors

American  

[out-dawrz, -dohrz] / ˌaʊtˈdɔrz, -ˈdoʊrz /

adverb

1. out of doors; in the open air.

   He's happiest when he's outdoors.

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noun

1. (used with a singular verb) the world outside of or away from houses; open air.

   Our whole family likes the outdoors.

adjective

1. outdoor.

outdoors British  

/ ˌaʊtˈdɔːz /

adverb

1. Also: out-of-doors.  in the open air; outside

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noun

1. the world outside or far away from human habitation

   the great outdoors

outdoors Idioms  

1. see big as life (all outdoors).

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Etymology

Origin of outdoors

1810–20; earlier out ( of ) doors

Example Sentences

Pilgrims perform most of the hajj's rites outdoors where more than a million devotees gather in stifling conditions, with many attendees succumbing to heatstroke, fainting spells and even cardiac arrest triggered by the heat.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

Keeping track of how many like them are sleeping outdoors without so much as a tent or vehicle to shelter them has become a major concern for the organization.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

Thanks to retractable glass walls, the entire property feels connected as there’s easy access to the outdoors.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

With Hypershell’s X Ultra S and similar personal exoskeletons, AI takes on the great outdoors.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

He added to his winter store of food, at what he thought was her urging, and meanwhile he kept dining on what remained available outdoors.

From "Abel's Island" by William Steig

Related Words

• garden