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.
They hoped to disrupt the molting process of cicada nymphs, which need to shed their outer layer to emerge as adults.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Moist vegetation needs to be planted among the pines, he said, and bigger fire buffer zones are needed on each town’s outer edges, such as ball fields or livestock pastures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
The number of Chinese ships detected around Taiwan and several of its outer islands since May is 1,247, coast guard figures show.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
"Everyday life is difficult as she needs full protective outer wear for going outside and sun cream every two hours under her clothes."
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Ocean water was pouring through the gash in the station’s outer wall.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
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.
