outreach

American  

[out-reech, out-reech] / ˌaʊtˈritʃ, ˈaʊtˌritʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to reach beyond; exceed.

   The demand has outreached our supply.

2. Archaic. to reach out; extend.

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verb (used without object)

1. to reach out.

noun

outreaches plural

1. an act or instance of reaching out.

2. length or extent of reach.

3. the act of extending services, benefits, etc., to a wider section of the population, as in community work.

adjective

1. concerned with extending community services, benefits, etc..

   an educational outreach program.

outreach British  

verb

1. (tr) to surpass in reach

2. (tr) to go beyond

3. to reach or cause to reach out

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noun

1. the act or process of reaching out

2. the length or extent of reach

3. social welfare any systematic effort to provide unsolicited and predefined help to groups or individuals deemed to need it

4. (modifier) (of welfare work or workers) propagating take-up of a service by seeking out appropriate people and persuading them to accept what is judged good for them Compare detached

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• outreaches
  plural

Etymology

Origin of outreach

First recorded in 1560–70; out- + reach

Explanation

When medical care or other services are delivered to people in their community, it's through outreach. Your local animal shelter might conduct outreach programs to provide affordable vaccines to pet owners. When a person or organization reaches out to others, that's outreach. Churches, political groups, public health departments, and educators all offer outreach, extending some kind of helping hand or useful information to the wider community. You can also use this word to mean "exceed," like when demand for a new gaming console outreaches the available supply, or when a tennis player with longer arms can outreach an opponent by being able to hit a ball from farther away.

Example Sentences

Outreach messages from Mercor reviewed by The Wall Street Journal use the phrase “looking to purchase.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Pastor Oliver Carter of No Limits Outreach Ministries, which runs the distribution point in Hyattsville, said he sees rising demand and more immigrants seeking aid since food stamps were slashed for many asylum seekers.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

Alina used the food bank last year following a referral from Centrepoint Outreach in Boston.

From BBC • Sep. 28, 2025

Outreach workers worry about the long-term impacts of the crackdown, which may disconnect people from their service providers and create distrust that will make it harder to ultimately move people into housing.

From Slate • Sep. 1, 2025

Cory Doctorow is Outreach Coordinator for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, www.eff.org, and maintains a personal site at www.craphound.com.

From Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Doctorow, Cory

Related Words

• eclipse
• outpace
• outstrip
• top