outlook

American  

[out-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

For a full look at September, read our monthly outlook here.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

Given uncertainties regarding the inflation outlook and recent higher-than-expected inflation data for August, ING expects the main policy rate to remain unchanged for the rest of the year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Economist Christopher Thornberg has a more optimistic outlook on the impact of rising fuel prices on the average consumer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

The sixth and final concern is that the earnings outlook today might be as good as it gets.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

Even children’s art is subject to the taste and outlook of the society that shapes his or her personality.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

By a nearly 2-to-1 margin, more companies raised their profit guidance for the current quarter than lowered it—a turnaround from a year ago, when more were lowering their outlooks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Honeywell Aerospace cut full year 2026 financial guidance while many of its peers are increasing their outlooks.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

For more on the companies’ own outlooks, you can search in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Edgar database for filings.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

However, from those early outlooks, “things can change quite a bit. Things will change quite a bit.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 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