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

Explanation

To outsource is to hire someone outside a company to do work. A newspaper might outsource some of its stories, paying freelance writers instead of using its full-time staff. When a business outsources, they either employ someone who freelances or works for another company, or they buy supplies from outside the company. Either way, it often involves paying less for the labor or goods, and many companies save money by outsourcing from other countries. This business term is relatively new, emerging in the 1980s from the verb source, "obtain from a particular source."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

outsource outsourced outsourcing

The company has chosen to outsource a portion of its AI capabilities through a partnership with Google Gemini.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

Jantos rejects suggestions that the tools are encouraging people to outsource dating to AI, arguing they are designed to boost confidence rather than replace authentic interactions.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

With Chinese companies having taken the lead in developing electric vehicles, he did not exclude the company deciding to outsource electrification to its Chinese partners.

From Barron's ● May 8, 2026

The debate mirrors broader concerns about whether AI will deepen learning or encourage students to outsource reasoning and problem-solving.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026

But they were happy to outsource it to Skadden, Arps.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

“If all your thought, all your creativity is completely outsourced to AI, then I don’t think that’s the best fit,” Bailey said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

But Mexican authorities remain convinced that U.S. officials outsourced the kidnapping and rendition of Zambada, who has pleaded guilty to smuggling-related charges and awaits sentencing in the United States.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

The same holds for consulting firms that offer outsourced coding.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

Further investigation revealed that cakes ordered from the stores were outsourced to an order-transfer platform, where food orders were awarded to third-party vendors with the lowest bids.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

Memory is not a dispensable resource that can be outsourced to USB sticks or even libraries; memory is the stuff we think with.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Shares in Mitie Group MTO 38.81%increase; green up pointing triangle soared after the U.K. outsourcing company agreed to be bought by facilities management group OCS for up to 3.1 billion pounds, equivalent to $4.16 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The cigarette maker plans to cut about 5,500 jobs by the end of the year, on top of around 3,500 roles that it moved to outsourcing partners including Accenture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

In your book, at the end, you talk about how through ending emotional outsourcing, you’ve cultivated a fulfilling chosen family, and that you make a practice of showing up for community care.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026

“It’s sort of like outsourcing your workout to someone else and expecting to get stronger. Muscles — physical and cognitive — just don’t work like that.”

From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026

I was intrigued at just how advanced this form of service outsourcing had become.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman