outsider

American  

[out-sahy-der] / ˌaʊtˈsaɪ dər /

noun

1. a person not belonging to a particular group, set, party, etc..

   Society often regards the artist as an outsider.

2. a person unconnected or unacquainted with the matter in question.

   Not being a parent, I was regarded as an outsider.

3. a racehorse, sports team, or other competitor not considered likely to win or succeed.

4. a person or thing not within an enclosure, boundary, etc.

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outsider British  

/ ˌaʊtˈsaɪdə /

noun

1. a person or thing excluded from or not a member of a set, group, etc

2. a contestant, esp a horse, thought unlikely to win in a race

3. (in the north) a person who does not live in the Arctic regions

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Etymology

Origin of outsider

First recorded in 1790–1800; outside + -er ¹

Example Sentences

“It’s all about being an outsider and feeling different, and I related to that,” Boston said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

When she was starting as a comedian, as an “older woman who was talking about having babies,” Blaine felt like an outsider.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Austrian coach Adi Hutter is a rank outsider, although he did win admirers in the Premier League with his work at clubs such as Eintracht Frankfurt.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

China’s tech titans are embracing an unlikely outsider: OpenClaw, a project created by an Austrian developer that is making waves across the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

He was strangely suited to the tussle of lawmaking, calm inside the maelstrom, accustomed to being an outsider, taking defeats in his easy Hawaiian stride.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• alien
• foreigner
• interloper
• newcomer
• stranger