outsource

American  

[out-sawrs, ‑-sohrs] / ˈaʊtˌsɔrs, ‑ˌsoʊrs /

verb (used with object)

outsourced, outsourcing

1. (of a company or organization) to purchase (goods) or subcontract (services) from an outside supplier or source.

2. to contract out (jobs, services, etc.).

   a small business that outsources bookkeeping to an accounting firm.

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verb (used without object)

outsourced, outsourcing

1. to obtain goods or services from an outside source.

   U.S. companies who outsource from China.

outsource British  

/ ˌaʊtˈsɔːs /

verb

1. to subcontract (work) to another company

2. to buy in (components for a product) rather than manufacture them

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Other Word Forms

• outsourcing noun

Etymology

Origin of outsource

1975–80

Example Sentences

Treating them as something society can simply “pause” doesn’t reduce demand for digital services; it constrains the supply of compute, raising costs and outsourcing technological progress elsewhere.

From The Wall Street Journal

Claude is “a thinking machine that actively helps extend your thinking, rather than outsource your thinking,” Andrew Stirk, Anthropic’s head of brand marketing, said in a recent interview with the Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Any time I outsource my thoughts to something that isn’t my own brain, I’m worried I’m going to lose that muscle memory.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Even large conglomerates outsource some product lines, while smaller names depend heavily on ODMs to move quickly and keep costs down.

From BBC

For instance, she said, the agency for many years resisted outsourcing its background check process, partly because of the cost, but also to avoid going against tradition that said the process should be handled in-house.

From Los Angeles Times