outlet

American  

[aut-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

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Etymology

Origin of outlet

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

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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

A person with direct knowledge of the matter told the outlet that Zacharia took the exam around the same time that she was planning a wedding and preparing to move to China with her husband-to-be.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

When questioned Thursday by conservative media outlet Real America's Voice, Zacharia said she had registered to take the bar exam but was then "distracted and overwhelmed" by plans to move with her husband to China.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

“I started thinking about this in a way that I think was separating me from the pain of what was happening,” Crystal told the outlet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

“We just always wanted to be around a completely different culture,” he told the outlet.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Multiple US media outlets have reported that the investigation is tied to Omar's US citizenship and whether she lied about her age when she arrived in the US in 1995.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

"We cannot help but point out that today's incident is not an isolated one," she noted, but did not name other journalists or media outlets that are allegedly involved in similar activity.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

He said the administration failed to give the outlets proper notice or opportunity to object to the ban.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Journalists from some media outlets, including the Scroll and Newslaundry, were also detained briefly.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

The team laid an electric cable along the floor throughout the building, strung with outlets, like a cord for Christmas-tree lights.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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Related Words

• market
• shop
• showroom

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