outlet

American  

[out-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

Etymology

Origin of outlet

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

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 high-profile Russian journalist, Badanin is the founder and editor-in-chief of Proekt, an investigative media outlet created in 2018.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

She pointed to a New Jersey law that officials invoked to bar the editor of a local news outlet from publishing a police official’s home address.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

But although no other media outlet has independently confirmed the letters’ authenticity, they match excerpts the New York Times quoted in a 2024 story about Harp joining the White House.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

Of the 20,500 tracked by the media outlet, the White House lost at least 17,600, or 85% of the time.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

The search for new weapons continues unceasingly, and is one of the very few remaining activities in which the inventive or speculative type of mind can find any outlet.

From "1984" by George Orwell

Their two children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, have already been signed up at a private school for the start of the academic year in early September, according to multiple British media outlets.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

That wasn’t the issue, Bonta said, specifically pointing to leaks about the settlement talks that appeared in various news outlets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

As a huge proponent of unretirement, I’m excited to continue working part time at 70 by writing for a variety of outlets.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026

Media outlets in Australia widely reported the initial incorrect reports that Hooper was located alive before retracting their stories shortly after.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Instead, he began plans for ditches and outlets for the river.

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin

Related Words

• market
• shop
• showroom