outer
Americanadjective
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situated on or toward the outside; external; exterior.
outer garments; an outer wall.
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situated farther out or farther from the center.
the outer reaches of space.
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of or relating to the external world.
adjective
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being or located on the outside; external
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further from the middle or central part
noun
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archery
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the white outermost ring on a target
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a shot that hits this ring
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the unsheltered part of the spectator area at a sports ground
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informal excluded or neglected
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of outer
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at out, -er 4
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.
Or the moons are two wandering asteroids from the outer Solar System, which were grabbed by the Red Planet's gravity.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
The inner and outer realities can get confusing, not that it particularly matters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
The cortex, which forms the brain's outer layer, showed particularly extensive changes.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Videos show people, mostly teens, euphorically peeling off the outer layer to reveal a tender, ultra-juicy gummy core.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
She hacked off the outer shell of a mupfuti tree and began peeling off long strips of the inner bark.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
