outpost
Americannoun
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a station established at a distance from the main body of an army to protect it from surprise attack.
We keep only a small garrison of men at our desert outposts.
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the body of troops stationed there; detachment or perimeter guard.
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an outlying settlement, installation, position, etc.
noun
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military
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a position stationed at a distance from the area occupied by a major formation
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the troops assigned to such a position
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an outlying settlement or position
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a limit or frontier
Etymology
Origin of outpost
Explanation
An outpost is a camp or station that's somewhat isolated. A military outpost acts as a guard or defense against an enemy's attack on the larger military force. Whenever a small group of people sets up a camp at a distance from the main, larger organization (whether it's military or not), you can call their settlement an outpost. Explorers in the early days of the US set up outposts throughout the West, and many countries establish outposts near their borders with hostile neighbors — encampments for keeping an eye on them. The first written use of outpost is usually ascribed to George Washington.
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.
Israeli media reported that damage was caused to four buildings in an outpost near the Israeli settlement of Itamar, in the north of the occupied West Bank, as a result of a missile interception.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Founded in 1778, the luxury outpost has hosted U.S. presidents, royalty and the rich and famous who now come for golf and $3,500 executive physicals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
Trendy Erewhon, the reigning Rolls-Royce of grocery stores, has fallen behind in rent payments for its Culver City outpost, its landlord says.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026
"People are trooping to the Hakimpur border check-post since Tuesday after hearing that crossover to Bangladesh is possible from this outpost," senior state police official Subrata Saha told AFP at the site.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
They trusted their assessment of risk so much that they moved the scientists’ outpost even closer to the mountain.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
