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outside

[noun out-sahyd, -sahyd; adjective out-sahyd, out-; adverb out-sahyd; preposition out-sahyd, out-sahyd]
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noun
  1. the outer side, surface, or part; exterior: The outside of the house needs painting.
  2. the external aspect or appearance.
  3. the space without or beyond an enclosure, institution, boundary, etc.: a prisoner about to resume life on the outside.
  4. a position away or farther away from the inside or center: The horse on the outside finished second.
  5. an outside passenger or place on a coach or other vehicle.
  6. Northern Canada and Alaska. (sometimes initial capital letter) the settled or more populous part of Canada or the U.S.
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adjective
  1. being, acting, done, or originating beyond an enclosure, boundary, etc.: outside noises; news from the outside world.
  2. situated on or pertaining to the outside; exterior; external: an outside television antenna.
  3. situated away from the inside or center; farther or farthest away from the inside or center: the outside lane.
  4. not belonging to or connected with a specified institution, society, etc.: outside influences; outside help.
  5. extremely unlikely or remote: an outside chance for recovery.
  6. extreme or maximum: an outside estimate.
  7. being in addition to one's regular work or duties: an outside job.
  8. working on or assigned to the outside, as of a place or organization: an outside man to care for the grounds.
  9. Baseball. (of a pitched ball) passing, but not going over, home plate on the side opposite the batter: The fastball was high and outside.
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adverb
  1. on or to the outside, exterior, or space without: Take the dog outside.
  2. in or to an area that is removed from or beyond a given place or region: The country's inhabitants seldom travel outside.
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preposition
  1. on or toward the outside of: There was a noise outside the door.
  2. beyond the confines or borders of: visitors from outside the country.
  3. with the exception of; aside from: She has no interests outside her work.
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Idioms
  1. at the outside, at the utmost limit; at the maximum: There weren't more than ten at the outside.
  2. outside of, other than; exclusive of; excepting: Outside of us, no one else came to the party.
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Origin of outside

First recorded in 1495–1505; out- + side1

Synonyms

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11. faint, distant, slight.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for outside

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • That it is one tree seems to be evident from the growth of the bark only on the outside.

    The Grand Old Man

    Richard B. Cook

  • Then, as in Fig. 9, cut the core loose from the outside skin.

    Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 5

    Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences

  • The stenographer was to take his seat in this corridor, just outside one of the windows.

    Within the Law

    Marvin Dana

  • Outside the door of the anaesthetizing-room Miss Harrison's languor vanished.

    K

    Mary Roberts Rinehart

  • Outside of her small immediate circle Anna's death was hardly felt.

    K

    Mary Roberts Rinehart

British Dictionary definitions for outside

outside

preposition (ˌaʊtˈsaɪd)
  1. (sometimes foll by of) on or to the exterior ofoutside the house
  2. beyond the limits ofoutside human comprehension
  3. apart from; other thanno-one knows outside you and me
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adjective (ˈaʊtˌsaɪd)
  1. (prenominal) situated on the exterioran outside lavatory
  2. remote; unlikelyan outside chance
  3. not a member of
  4. the greatest possible or probable (prices, odds, etc)
  5. (of a road lane, esp in a dual carriageway or motorway) situated nearer or nearest to the central reservation, for use by faster or overtaking vehicles
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adverb (ˌaʊtˈsaɪd)
  1. outside a specified thing or place; out of doors
  2. slang not in prison
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noun (ˈaʊtˈsaɪd)
  1. the external side or surfacethe outside of the garage
  2. the external appearance or aspect
  3. the exterior or outer part of something
  4. (of a path, pavement, etc) the side nearest the road or away from a wall or building
  5. sport an outside player, as in football
  6. (plural) the outer sheets of a ream of paper
  7. Canadian (in the north) the settled parts of Canada
  8. at the outside informal at the most or at the greatest extenttwo days at the outside
  9. outside in another term for inside outSee inside (def. 5)
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usage

The use of outside of and inside of, although fairly common, is generally thought to be incorrect or non-standard: she waits outside (not outside of) the school
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

Word Origin and History for outside

n.

c.1500, "outer side," from out + side (n.). The adjective is attested from 1630s; the preposition from 1826; the adverb from 1813. Phrase outside of "with exception of" is from 1859.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with outside

outside

In addition to the idiom beginning with outside

  • outside of

also see:

  • at most (the outside)
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.