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

Open-source research outlet Black Bird Group says Russia has made some of its smallest gains this summer since the start of the war, while Ukraine has launched counterattacks along other areas of the front line.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Myanmar's Sai Zaw Thaike, a photojournalist with the independent Myanmar Now outlet, who was arrested in 2023, while covering the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha, will also be decorated.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Dutch outlet Wielerflits, external said the practice had been seen previously in women's cycling, including at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

The latter was interviewed by a Bloomberg Law reporter about his ordeal and was, according to the outlet, found dead behind a Washington rowhouse a month later.

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026

The inmate, I knew, could plug it into the outlet in his cell, place a pan on it, and do some home cooking.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Kumar said it was important to distinguish between large TV networks and independent outlets that often face pressure from authorities.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

Nora resides among an assortment of odd-duck tenants, feeding daily breakfast to a punctual seagull she names Father Conway and finding secular outlets for her abiding curiosity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Think pieces in major media outlets described the injection as a “coveted accessory” for wealthy people and a “watershed moment for scientific discovery.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

Addressing concerns over the future of Paramount's CBS and Warner's CNN, Ellison insisted the news outlets would remain non-partisan and stay positioned to "tell it straight down the middle."

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

State, local, and national media outlets were crowded outside the courthouse when I arrived the next morning.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• market
• shop
• showroom