outlier

[out-lahy-er]

noun

1. something that lies outside the main body or group that it is a part of, such as a cow far from the rest of the herd, or a distant island belonging to a cluster of islands.

   The small factory was an outlier, and unproductive, so the corporation sold it off to private owners who were able to make it profitable.

2. someone who stands apart from other members of a group, such as by differing behavior, beliefs, or religious practices.

   There are a few scientists who are outliers in their views on climate change.

   Synonyms: outsider, heretic, iconoclast, dissenter, dissident, bohemian, eccentric, original, maverick, nonconformist

3. Statistics.

   1. an observation that is well outside of the expected range of values in a study or experiment, and which is often discarded from the data set.

      Experience with a variety of data-reduction problems has led to several strategies for dealing with outliers in data sets.

   2. a person whose abilities, achievements, etc., lie outside the range of statistical probability.

4. Geology.,  a part of a formation left detached through the removal of surrounding parts by erosion.

5. Obsolete.,  a person residing outside the place of their business, duty, etc.

outlier

/ ˈaʊtˌlaɪə /

noun

1. an outcrop of rocks that is entirely surrounded by older rocks

2. a person, thing, or part situated away from a main or related body

3. a person who lives away from his place of work, duty, etc

4. statistics a point in a sample widely separated from the main cluster of points in the sample See scatter diagram

Word History and Origins

Origin of outlier¹

First recorded in 1600–10; out- + lier

Example Sentences

Currently, the U.K.’s 0.5% stamp duty charge is an outlier among major global financial centres, such as New York and Frankfurt, says the portfolio manager.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

England's home series against India in the summer, when all five matches went into a fifth day, was something of an outlier.

Read more on BBC

What makes us the main outlier among developed nations is our ability to attract foreigners.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“The vast majority of the world builds apartments this way. We are an outlier. It touches on the housing crisis, the affordability crisis.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But some have also questioned Prof LeCun's characterisation as an outlier or visionary in the industry.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• aberration 
• deviation 
• eccentricity 
• exception 
• oddity