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

Sunpark manages a variety of restaurant chains, including Takagi Coffee, which is famous for its fluffy soufflé pancakes and has an outlet in Beverly Grove.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

The news outlet Axios reported earlier that Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and go-to mediator for the Middle East and Russia, will head to Israel and Egypt next week for talks on the situation in Gaza.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Digital news outlet Puck first reported that meeting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Sanchez also revealed to the outlet that Bezos has a space-themed bar dubbed the Kármán Line Bar located on the West Texas ranch.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

Second, it came with a table and electrical outlet.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

There are still transparency laws that apply to Flock databases, which is how 404 Media and other media outlets have discovered abuses of the technology.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

According to reports from French media outlets, Foucher is alleged to have invited about 30 women to his residence in the capital, Bangui.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

It was on July 30, according to the Wall Street Journal and other news outlets, that Citadel purchased Situational Awareness’s portfolio of public equities, so the hedge fund could meet a margin call.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

The remark was widely reported by major Japanese outlets including national broadcaster NHK and Asahi Shimbun, sparking public criticism.

From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026

With 2,300 journalists around the world, in 197 bureaus, serving a market including investment bankers, derivatives traders, stockbrokers, newspapers, radio, television, and Internet outlets, Reuters has always had a very complex audience to satisfy.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

Related Words

• market
• shop
• showroom