outsource
[ out-sawrs, ‐sohrs ]
/ ˈaʊtˌsɔrs, ‐ˌsoʊrs /
verb (used with object), out·sourced, out·sourc·ing.
(of a company or organization) to purchase (goods) or subcontract (services) from an outside supplier or source.
to contract out (jobs, services, etc.): a small business that outsources bookkeeping to an accounting firm.
verb (used without object), out·sourced, out·sourc·ing.
to obtain goods or services from an outside source: U.S. companies who outsource from China.
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
Origin of outsource
1975–80
Related formsout·sourc·ing, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for outsourcing
British Dictionary definitions for outsourcing
outsource
/ (ˌaʊtˈsɔːs) /
verb (tr) (of a manufacturer)
to subcontract (work) to another company
to buy in (components for a product) rather than manufacture them
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 outsourcing
outsource
in reference to jobs going overseas, by 1981 (as outsourcing), from out + source (v.). Related: Outsourced.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper