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

"Those who are willing to go down the Spanish route are still outliers," Daniel Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator, told me.

From BBC

Yet his demeanour and words show why he is an outlier in a sport that thrives on theatre.

From BBC

But he has always been an outlier, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which is presenting the Ford concert, has been the American orchestra most receptive.

From Los Angeles Times

It might be an outlier, as he’s typically in single digits for the season, but Mack had 17 sacks in 2023.

From Los Angeles Times

They can’t console themselves by writing off the Macrons as outliers, which, statistically speaking, they are.

From Salon

Related Words

• aberration 
• deviation 
• eccentricity 
• exception 
• oddity