outer
Americanadjective
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situated on or toward the outside; external; exterior.
outer garments; an outer wall.
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situated farther out or farther from the center.
the outer reaches of space.
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of or relating to the external world.
adjective
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being or located on the outside; external
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further from the middle or central part
noun
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archery
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the white outermost ring on a target
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a shot that hits this ring
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the unsheltered part of the spectator area at a sports ground
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informal excluded or neglected
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of outer
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at out, -er 4
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.
For salad lovers, experts recommend buying whole heads of lettuce and removing and discarding the outer couple of layers of leaves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The decline , externalhas been steeper in inner than outer London.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Finish them off with flaky sea salt, then store them in the freezer for 30 minutes or until the outer chocolate shell has hardened.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Brain cells continually pull material from the fluid around them, including nutrients, signaling molecules, and fragments of their own outer surfaces.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
I stared at Peach as if he were from outer space.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
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.
