outright
Americanadjective
-
complete or total.
an outright loss.
-
downright or unqualified.
an outright refusal.
-
without further payments due, restrictions, or qualifications.
an outright sale of the car.
-
Archaic. directed straight out or on.
adverb
-
completely; entirely.
- Synonyms:
- thoroughly, altogether, utterly, downright
-
without restraint, reserve, or concealment; openly.
Tell me outright what's bothering you.
-
at once; instantly.
to be killed outright.
-
without further payments due, restrictions, or qualifications.
to own the house outright.
-
Archaic. straight out or ahead; directly onward.
adjective
-
without qualifications or limitations
outright ownership
-
complete; total
an outright lie
-
straightforward; direct
an outright manner
adverb
-
without restrictions
buy outright
-
without reservation or concealment
ask outright
-
instantly
he was killed outright
-
obsolete straight ahead or out
Other Word Forms
- outrightness noun
Etymology
Origin of outright
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.
“Funds will be paid outright to the individual beneficiary.”
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
He will remain involved as an advisor, focusing on the Permanent Engaged Minority Shareholder initiative he created to invest in companies too large to acquire outright while still maintaining long-term engagement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
She says that studies in mice have shown that starvation enhances the animal’s tolerance to chemotherapy doses but can’t cure the disease outright.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
“Fiscal buffers will be of only limited benefit if the outright supply shortages beginning to emerge in some Asian economies worsen and spread,” wrote Gavekal Research analyst Udith Sakand in a research note.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
The conversation that follows involves more creative coercion than outright job offer, and there are several deviations into the subjects of the ballet, modern fashion, and Japanese mythology.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
