outstanding
Americanadjective
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prominent; conspicuous; striking.
an outstanding example of courage.
- Synonyms:
- eminent
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marked by superiority or distinction; excellent; distinguished.
an outstanding student.
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continuing in existence; remaining unsettled, unpaid, etc..
outstanding debts.
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(of securities and the like) publicly issued and sold or in circulation.
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standing out; projecting.
a stiff, outstanding fabric.
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Archaic. that resists or opposes.
adjective
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superior; excellent; distinguished
-
prominent, remarkable, or striking
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still in existence; unsettled, unpaid, or unresolved
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(of shares, bonds, etc) issued and sold
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projecting or jutting upwards or outwards
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of outstanding
Explanation
Something outstanding stands out for good reasons. Your outstanding presentation captured everyone's attention; unfortunately, so did the tear in the seat of your pants. An outstanding performance of any kind will impress people, but there's one meaning to outstanding that most of us would rather avoid: that which remains unpaid. Outstanding gift ideas can lead to outstanding debt. Your outstanding mood was ruined when you saw the size of your outstanding credit card balance.
Vocabulary lists containing outstanding
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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.
He was part of an outstanding JV team his junior year, called up as a pinch runner for the playoffs.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
The holdings represent around a 2.9% stake in the company, based on its 459,110,000 shares outstanding.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
Treasurys were bought and sold in 2023, almost nine times the amount of bonds that were outstanding at the end of the year, according to Sifma, a securities industry trade group.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Guardiola utilised diminutive Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano as a central defender at Barcelona, then transformed Bayern Munich's outstanding right-back Phillip Lahm into an equally effective holding midfield player.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
There might perhaps have been a time to undertake excavations that might have comprehensively settled our outstanding questions about the topography of old Alexandria.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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.
