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Synonyms

outstanding

American  
[out-stan-ding] / ˌaʊtˈstæn dɪŋ /

adjective

  1. prominent; conspicuous; striking.

    an outstanding example of courage.
    Synonyms:
    eminent

  2. marked by superiority or distinction; excellent; distinguished.

    an outstanding student.

  3. continuing in existence; remaining unsettled, unpaid, etc..

    outstanding debts.
    Synonyms:
    due, owing

  4. (of securities and the like) publicly issued and sold or in circulation.

  5. standing out; projecting.

    a stiff, outstanding fabric.

  6. Archaic. that resists or opposes.

outstanding British  
/ ˌaʊtˈstændɪŋ /

adjective

  1. superior; excellent; distinguished

  2. prominent, remarkable, or striking

  3. still in existence; unsettled, unpaid, or unresolved

  4. (of shares, bonds, etc) issued and sold

  5. projecting or jutting upwards or outwards

"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

Other Word Forms

  • outstandingly adverb
  • outstandingness noun

Etymology

Origin of outstanding

First recorded in 1605–15; outstand + -ing 2

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.

A year and a half after Keith died, with the money still outstanding, Victoria contacted The Times newspaper.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Hastings now has direct or indirect ownership of 21,163,516 Netflix common shares, or about 0.5% of the shares outstanding.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

It limited redemption requests for its fund Blue Owl Credit Income Corp., known as OCIC, at 5% of shares outstanding.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Under the terms of the arrangement, Biogen will pay $41 a share for all shares outstanding of Apellis—a steep premium to the stock’s closing price of $17.09 on Monday.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Whenever possible, the teenagers also held the prestigious Hitler Youth Achievement Medal, earned for outstanding performance during their paramilitary training days.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

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.