outlet

American  

[out-let, -lit] / ˈaʊt lɛt, -lɪt /

noun

• outlets
  plural

1. an opening or passage by which anything is let out; vent; exit.

2. Electricity.

   1. a point on a wiring system at which current is taken to supply electric devices.

   2. Also called outlet box.  the metal box or receptacle designed to facilitate connections to a wiring system.

3. a means of expression or satisfaction.

   an outlet for one's artistic impulses.

4. a market for goods.

5. a store, merchant, or agency selling the goods of a particular wholesaler or manufacturer.

6. a local radio or television station that broadcasts the programs of a large network.

7. a river or stream flowing from a body of water, as a lake or pond.

8. the channel such a river or stream follows.

9. the lower end or mouth of a river where it meets a large body of water, as a lake or the sea.

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outlet British  

/ ˈaʊtlɛt, -lɪt /

noun

1. an opening or vent permitting escape or release

2. a means for release or expression of emotion, creative energy, etc

3. 1. a market for a product or service

   2. a commercial establishment retailing the goods of a particular producer or wholesaler

4. 1. a channel that drains a body of water

   2. the mouth of a river

5. a point in a wiring system from which current can be taken to supply electrical devices

6. anatomy the beginning or end of a passage, esp the lower opening of the pelvis ( pelvic outlet )

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• outlets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of outlet

First recorded in 1200–50, outlet is from the Middle English word utlete. See out, let ¹

Explanation

Any hole or opening that allows water or gas to get out is an outlet. The place where water runs out of a lake and into a river is one example of an outlet. When you need to charge your laptop, you plug it into an electrical outlet, which gets its name from the idea that electricity comes out of it, just as water flows out of a river outlet. Outlet is also used to mean "store that sells discounted goods" and "a way to express yourself emotionally creatively." Dancing might be your outlet, for example — the way you let your feelings and creativity out.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

outlet outlets

The reporter said she and a photographer from the news outlet both had their badges taken away from them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

The news outlet reported that, according to the arbitration award, Tran drove near Normandin-Parker’s body before taking the next exit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

Doctors who reviewed the case for ProPublica all told the news outlet that, given Walker’s medical risks, she should have been offered an abortion.

From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026

"That summer, everybody was watching under-20 football, everybody knew the players," says Rakovsky, who was covering the team for Israeli media outlet Haaretz.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

My outrage, without outlet, was quickly turning to despair.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

The pool acts as a representative for the media, sharing material with other outlets to save on finance and space when covering presidential events.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

In a joint statement, the outlets said they were filing the suit to “protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

The three outlets announced Monday they are jointly filing a lawsuit in U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

He responded by further attacking the three outlets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

They had got my parents doing things like taking bus trips to factory outlets and playing a dice game called “bunko” and hanging around the piano bar at the Ramada Inn.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• market
• shop
• showroom