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Synonyms

outlying

American  
[out-lahy-ing] / ˈaʊtˌlaɪ ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. lying at a distance from the center or the main body; remote; out-of-the-way.

    outlying military posts.

  2. lying outside the boundary or limit.


outlying British  
/ ˈaʊtˌlaɪɪŋ /

adjective

  1. distant or remote from the main body or centre, as of a town or region

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of outlying

First recorded in 1655–65; out- + lying 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In the capital Havana, power outages totalled more than 30 hours at a time, while in the outlying provinces, it was several days before electricity was restored.

From Barron's Jul. 14, 2026

“The outlying areas are very attractive to retirees. Smaller communities outside the big metros still offer many of the same features but with more affordability,” Smart said.

From MarketWatch Nov. 4, 2025

In Kyiv, there was no water in parts of the city center and outlying districts on Friday, with restaurants and hotels running a reduced service and many schools in the city sending students home.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 10, 2025

But the Atlanta child murders gripped the city and outlying suburbs like Jonesboro and changed her community’s worldview.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 8, 2025

There were other buildings, usually the outlying ones, that were virtually falling down, which we couldn’t use for much, but for which we felt in some vague way responsible—mainly on account of Keffers.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

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