outing

American  

[ou-ting] / ˈaʊ tɪŋ /

noun

1. a pleasure trip, excursion, picnic, or the like.

   the annual outing for the senior class.

   Synonyms:

   jaunt

2. a public appearance, as by a participant in an athletic contest or event.

   The new player scored spectacularly in his second outing with the team.

3. the intentional exposure of a person’s denied or secret identity, orientation, or status, especially gay sexual orientation or transgender identity.

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outing British  

/ ˈaʊtɪŋ /

noun

1. a short outward and return journey; trip; excursion

2. informal the naming by homosexuals of other prominent homosexuals, often against their will

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Etymology

Origin of outing

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; out, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

This was Greg's third outing for Comic Relief in 10 years, after previously completing five triathlons in five days for his first and climbing mountains Scafell Pike, Snowdon and Ben Nevis for his second.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

“In terms of the next outing, I do want to be better at executing in two-strike counts. I just didn’t finish off hitters as much as I wanted to.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

In Mirabelli, several religious parents hoped to have similar success in challenging a California school district policy against forced outing.

From Slate • Mar. 12, 2026

For a recurring exhibition that is often chided for its deafening, in-your-face messaging, this edition of the show is all but silent; for a show that’s known—almost famous—for generating controversy, this outing is entirely anodyne.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

She seemed genuinely mystified, as if she hadn't terrorized them for days into thinking of this outing as equivalent to going to the doctor for their booster shots.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• excursion
• expedition
• picnic
• vacation