outlook

American  

[aut-look] / ˈaʊtˌlʊk /

noun

• outlooks
  plural

1. the view or prospect from a particular place.

   Synonyms:

   scene

2. mental attitude or view; point of view.

   one's outlook on life.

   Synonyms:

   approach, position, viewpoint, attitude

3. prospect of the future.

   the political outlook.

   Synonyms:

   scene

4. the place from which an observer looks out; lookout.

5. the act or state of looking out.

6. a watch kept; vigilance; lookout.

   a careful outlook to prevent forest fires.

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outlook British  

/ ˈaʊtˌlʊk /

noun

1. a mental attitude or point of view

2. the probable or expected condition or outcome of something

   the weather outlook

3. the view from a place

4. view or prospect

5. the act or state of looking out

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• outlooks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of outlook

First recorded in 1660–70; out- + look

Explanation

The word outlook describes a belief about the future. Your outlook on the awful present situation might make your outlook for the future turn grim. The noun outlook can also mean the practice of looking out. A guard's outlook on the bank vault must stay watchful and attentive in case there's an attempted robbery. Your outlook on your first job out of college was one of promise and excitement. The word can also mean a characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will handle situations. A pessimistic outlook on life will make you see only the negative.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

outlook outlooks

In its third-quarter earnings report in August, the company withdrew its full-year outlook due to “macroeconomic softness and the uncertainty around the company’s ability to continue to drive consumer behavior.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Under Armour earlier this year cut its sales outlook, citing a weak consumer backdrop that has weighed on demand for its sportswear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Investors will also keep a close watch on commentary from Fed officials, with markets looking for any new signals on the interest-rate outlook, UOB says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Indications of weak consumer beer demand and an unchanged full-year outlook overshadowed stronger sales.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

“I bet if some scientist took half of my outlook and half of your outlook they’d come up with a perfect balance of how people should see the world.”

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

In total, 116 S&P 500 companies had put out earnings-per-share outlooks for the third quarter, according to the report.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 4, 2026

“Growth prospects and fiscal outlooks depend in part on expectations that AI development and adoption will generate significant productivity gains,” the BOE said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Of those companies, 72 have issued earnings-per-share outlooks that topped Wall Street’s expectations.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 13, 2026

The University of Michigan releases its final inflation and spending outlooks for August.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

In reality, I regularly observe in New Guinea that native societies there differ greatly from each other in their prevalent outlooks.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• chance
• expectation
• forecast
• opportunity
• possibility
• prospect
• risk