outlet

[ out-let, -lit ]

/ ˈaʊt lɛt, -lɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR outlet ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

Electricity.

a point on a wiring system at which current is taken to supply electric devices.
Also called outlet box. the metal box or receptacle designed to facilitate connections to a wiring system.

a means of expression or satisfaction: an outlet for one's artistic impulses.

a market for goods.

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

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

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

the channel such a river or stream follows.

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

Nearby words

outlaw, outlaw strike, outlawry, outlay, outleap, outlet, outlier, outline, outline font, outlive, outlook

Origin of outlet

First recorded in 1200–50, outlet is from the Middle English word utlete. See out, let¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for outlet

With no family, little community support, and no outlet for education, they face a bleak future.
Liberia’s Ebola Orphans|Abby Haglage|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Novellas, movies, rants, columns, docudramas—creative lefties left no outlet unturned.
The Strange World of Political Assassination Fantasies|James Poulos|September 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He said Diana was looking for “an outlet to take them on,” adding, “They were quite a powerful organization: they still are.”
Diana Leaked Royal Phone Numbers|Tom Sykes, Peter Jukes|March 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Film was an outlet, and the intricately crafted pieces—regardless of who made them—told their own stories.
Barbara Tfank: The Red Carpet Radical|Erin Cunningham|March 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The outlet was almost shut down entirely in the early 2000s.
Banter With The Beast: MSNBC’s Head Honcho Phil Griffin on Admiring Roger Ailes and More|Lloyd Grove|January 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To the southeast the river Pisseck forms the outlet for one of the lakes and flows toward the Narew.
The Story of the Great War, Volume II (of VIII)|Various
Then he rose to his feet and, with the knife held close to his breast, began walking round and round as if seeking an outlet.
The Best Short Stories of 1921 and the Yearbook of the American Short Story|Various
At last he felt as if his good-humour must find some outlet.
Sister Carrie|Theodore Dreiser
It stood beside a small branch or outlet of the river, which led into a hollow of polygonum.
Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Vol 2 (of 2)|Thomas Mitchell
The able scout explored a long stretch of the lake's outlet which flowed toward the south.
In the Days of Poor Richard|Irving Bacheller

British Dictionary definitions for outlet

outlet

/ (ˈaʊtlɛt, -lɪt) /

noun

an opening or vent permitting escape or release

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

a market for a product or service
a commercial establishment retailing the goods of a particular producer or wholesaler

a channel that drains a body of water
the mouth of a river

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

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for outlet

outlet

mid-13c., "a river mouth," from out + let (v.). Electrical wiring sense is attested from 1892. Meaning "a retail store" is attested from 1933. Figurative sense "means of relief or discharge" is from 1620s.

outlet

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of outlet

Examples from the Web for outlet

British Dictionary definitions for outlet

outlet

noun

Word Origin and History for outlet

outlet