- present participle of out.
outing
Americannoun
-
outings
plural
-
a pleasure trip, excursion, picnic, or the like.
the annual outing for the senior class.
- Synonyms:
- jaunt
-
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.
-
the intentional exposure of a person’s denied or secret identity, orientation, or status, especially gay sexual orientation or transgender identity.
noun
-
a short outward and return journey; trip; excursion
-
informal the naming by homosexuals of other prominent homosexuals, often against their will
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of outing
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; see origin at out, -ing 1
Explanation
An outing is a short trip, especially one that takes no longer than a day. For example, you might ask your pal if he'd like to go on an outing to the zoo. A summer outing might be a picnic or a day at the beach, while a winter outing could consist of a hike in the snow or a shopping trip and lunch at a restaurant. Any brief, fun journey can be called an outing. In the fourteenth century, an outing was simply the "action of going out," and in the fifteenth century it started to mean "act of putting out" as well. By the 1800s it had gained today's definition.
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.
See Examples For:
Meghan posted footage on social media of the family at the weekend, showing a family outing in the countryside.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
But it is worth noting that our second outing with the Owens women isn’t during a sunny summer road trip or idyllic winter.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
I’ve spent my career helping these patients: a grandmother who imagined a retirement full of travel, now planning every outing around parking and stairs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Pop singer Lady Gaga and her fiancé, tech investor Michael Polansky, were recently photographed with a newborn child during an outing in Northern California, according to Page Six.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
The sky was overcast, but Abel didn’t think it would be so inconsiderate as to rain when he and his lovely wife were in the mood for an outing.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
Early on, Marwa and her family’s only outings were for their endless appointments: intake with resettlement case workers, immunizations and TB tests, signups for Social Security numbers and SNAP.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
Striker Mheuka, 18, has extended his contract at Chelsea until 2031, having made nine outings for the London club.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Power lunches and on-the-clock golf outings may no longer be commonplace, but many people across industries say that wine knowledge can still offer a leg up at work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Fernandes set up his side's opener on the final day of the season against Brighton – and scored their third – to finish 2025-26 with nine goals and 21 assists in 35 league outings.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
“I remember with more pleasure the weekend outings, with hikes, sports, campfires, and youth hosteling,” she said.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
