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Synonyms

outdoors

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

adverb

  1. out of doors; in the open air.

    He's happiest when he's outdoors.

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

"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

noun

  1. the world outside or far away from human habitation

    the great outdoors
"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
outdoors Idioms  

  1. see big as life (all outdoors).

Etymology

Origin of outdoors

1810–20; earlier out ( of ) doors

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.

Do you think it was important to have such a pivotal scene outdoors?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

"He inspired many generations of mountaineers to explore the outdoors, including me. I'm grateful for the time I spent with him over the years," Ferguson wrote on Wednesday.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

And because children tend to spend more time outdoors than adults and engage in more physical activity, they may have higher exposure to outdoor air pollution.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Tradition calls for spending the day outdoors to ward off bad luck.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Now, fattened up on mice and wearing a thicker coat of fur, he was content to play outdoors most days.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

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.