outside
outside — adjective
1. used for something that is in the open air rather than within a building
used for something that is in the open air rather than within a building
Their old house still has an outside toilet by the back wall.
used before nouns: outside toilet
We climbed the outside stairs to reach the second-floor office.
used before nouns: outside stairs
An outside table was the only seat left at the cafe.
The school stored balls in an outside locker near the gate.
- outside toilet
- outside stairs
- outside table
- outside locker
Grammar Patterns
outside toilet
outside stairs
outside table
Usage Note
Most often comes before nouns for structures or places connected to a building, such as toilet, stairs, or table. Distinguish from adverb sense 1, which tells you where someone or something is.
Common Mistakes
2. coming from people, groups, or places that are not part of the one being discuss
coming from people, groups, or places that are not part of the one being discussed
The mayor asked outside lawyers to review the land deal.
outside + noun for non-member support
Our team brought in outside help before the festival opened.
collocation: outside help
Outside money paid for the village clinic this year.
collocation: outside money
The school invited an outside speaker for career day.
- outside help
- outside money
- outside lawyer
- outside speaker
- external
is more formal and common in business or technical writing
- independent
stresses freedom from the group rather than simple origin
- foreign
usually points to another country, so it is narrower
Grammar Patterns
outside help
outside money
outside expert
Usage Note
Usually modifies nouns such as help, expert, lawyer, group, or money. It often suggests that the person or thing does not belong to the organization, area, or system already being discussed.
3. in baseball, describing a pitch that passes the part of the plate farther from t
in baseball, describing a pitch that passes the part of the plate farther from the batter
The catcher called for an outside fastball against the left-handed hitter.
baseball collocation: outside fastball
Jin swung late at the outside pitch in the ninth inning.
baseball collocation: outside pitch
In the seventh inning, the umpire called the outside pitch a strike.
The rookie missed the outside corner by only a few inches.
baseball collocation: outside corner
- outside pitch
- outside corner
- outside fastball
- outside strike
- inside
toward the batter rather than away from them
Grammar Patterns
outside pitch
outside corner
outside fastball
Usage Note
This sense belongs to baseball language and is often paired with pitch, corner, or fastball. It is relative to the batter, so the exact side changes with a right-handed or left-handed hitter.
4. used for a telephone line or call that reaches somewhere beyond the building or
used for a telephone line or call that reaches somewhere beyond the building or system you are in
Press nine for an outside line from the hotel phone.
collocation: outside line
The nurse put Dr. Lin's outside call through at noon.
collocation: outside call
The copy room fax has no outside line, so staff use the front desk machine.
Only the front desk can make outside calls after midnight.
outside calls from a building system
- outside line
- outside call
- outside calls
- outside connection
- internal
within the same building or phone system
Grammar Patterns
outside line
outside call
outside connection
Usage Note
Common in hotels, offices, and hospitals where an internal phone system is separated from calls to the wider network.
5. used for the greatest amount, number, or time that seems possible or acceptable
used for the greatest amount, number, or time that seems possible or acceptable
Ten days is the outside limit for shipping this medicine.
collocation: outside limit
At an outside estimate, repairs will cost fifty thousand dollars.
collocation: outside estimate
Friday is the outside date for sending in the forms.
collocation: outside date
The company put the outside figure for the project at eight million dollars.
- outside limit
- outside estimate
- outside date
- outside figure
- minimum
the smallest possible or allowed amount
Grammar Patterns
outside limit
outside estimate
outside date
Usage Note
Often appears with nouns such as limit, estimate, date, figure, or chance. Distinguish from noun sense 2, which usually appears in the fixed phrase 'at the outside'.
6. very unlikely, but still not completely impossible
very unlikely, but still not completely impossible
Mina has an outside chance of winning the final race.
collocation: outside chance
There was only an outside chance the package would arrive today.
outside chance + that-clause idea
Even with extra study, Ben had an outside chance of passing.
A late injury gave our team an outside chance of reaching finals.
collocation: outside chance
- outside chance
- outside hope
- an outside chance of
- only an outside chance
- likely
having a good chance of happening
Grammar Patterns
outside chance
outside hope
Usage Note
Most often appears in the phrase 'outside chance', and less often with hope. It suggests the possibility is small, but not zero.
outside — adverb
1. in the space just beyond a door, wall, or container, rather than within it
in the space just beyond a door, wall, or container, rather than within it
A black umbrella was waiting outside the classroom door.
outside near a specific building part
Nora rang the bell and stood outside in the rain.
stand outside
Please leave your muddy boots outside by the mat.
leave something outside
The cat scratched outside until Grandpa opened the window.
- wait outside
- stand outside
- leave it outside
- right outside
Grammar Patterns
wait outside
leave something outside
stand outside
Usage Note
This is the everyday opposite of 'inside' for location. Distinguish from adjective sense 1, where outside directly describes a noun such as toilet or stairs.
2. not within the town, area, or place that has just been mentioned
not within the town, area, or place that has just been mentioned
Most fans lived in Kaohsiung, but a few came from outside.
from outside a named area
Prices are lower outside, so locals shop in the next county.
This student card gets free bus rides in Tainan, but not outside.
outside a named place boundary
Patients from outside must fill in a longer form.
- from outside
- come from outside
- not outside
- live outside
Grammar Patterns
from outside
live outside
work outside
Usage Note
Often refers back to a place already named, especially a city, region, school, or organization. It is common after 'from'.
3. from beyond a group, system, or activity, rather than from within it
from beyond a group, system, or activity, rather than from within it
No one from outside can join the video meeting without a code.
from outside a group or system
The plan seemed local, but the money came from outside.
came from outside
Fresh ideas from outside helped the family business change.
ideas from outside
During the strike, the factory brought workers in from outside.
- from outside
- help from outside
- money from outside
- ideas from outside
- externally
is more formal and often used in technical or business writing
- from elsewhere
can fit many contexts, but it does not clearly suggest being outside a group
- inside
from within the same group or system
- internally
from within an organization or structure
Grammar Patterns
from outside
help from outside
ideas from outside
Usage Note
Unlike adverb sense 2, this sense is less about geography and more about membership or participation. It often appears in the phrase 'from outside'.
4. apart from the thing mentioned; if that is left out, the rest is true
apart from the thing mentioned; if that is left out, the rest is true
Outside a few delays, the bus trip went smoothly.
formal use meaning except for
Outside Sunday, Mei can work any day next week.
Outside one spelling error, the essay was excellent.
outside + one exception
Outside the lunch rush, this cafe is usually quiet.
- outside a few delays
- outside one error
- outside Sunday
- outside the ending
- except
is far more common in everyday English
- apart from
is a natural common alternative in speech and writing
Grammar Patterns
outside + noun phrase
outside one exception
Usage Note
This use is much less common than 'except' or 'except for' and sounds more literary or formal. Distinguish from preposition sense 2, which also means exclusion but is used more directly with groups, times, or amounts.
outside — noun
1. the part of something that faces away from its middle or inner space
the part of something that faces away from its middle or inner space
The outside of the box was covered with silver paper.
pattern: the outside of + noun
Rain beat against the outside of the kitchen window.
Paint the outside first, then finish the inside tomorrow.
contrast: outside / inside
The outside of the loaf felt hard, but the middle was soft.
- the outside of the box
- on the outside
- hard on the outside
- paint the outside
- exterior
is more formal, especially for buildings or vehicles
- surface
can mean the outer layer, but it does not always suggest an inside
- outer side
is a descriptive phrase rather than a fixed noun
Grammar Patterns
the outside of the box
paint the outside
hard on the outside
Usage Note
Usually refers to the visible outer layer or side of an object, building, or food. It often contrasts directly with 'inside'.
2. the greatest amount that can reasonably be expected in a situation
the greatest amount that can reasonably be expected in a situation
At the outside, sixty guests can fit in this hall.
fixed phrase: at the outside
The repair will take a week at the outside.
time expression: at the outside
At the outside, the trip should cost twenty thousand dollars.
Three months, at the outside, should finish the court case.
- at the outside
- a week at the outside
- at the outside, sixty guests
- twenty thousand dollars at the outside
- maximum
is the everyday general word for the highest amount
- upper limit
stresses a boundary rather than an estimate
- minimum
the smallest possible amount
Grammar Patterns
at the outside
a week at the outside
fifty people at the outside
Usage Note
This noun sense is mostly found in the expression 'at the outside'. Distinguish from adjective sense 5, which directly modifies a noun such as limit or estimate.
outside — preposition
1. past the edge or range of a place, rule, subject, or system
past the edge or range of a place, rule, subject, or system
Several farms lie outside the city limits near Tainan.
outside + boundary noun
That question is outside my area of training.
outside + area of knowledge
No camping is allowed outside marked zones in this park.
Her behavior fell outside school rules during the museum trip.
outside + rules or limits
- outside the city limits
- outside marked zones
- outside my area
- outside school rules
Grammar Patterns
outside the city limits
outside my area of training
outside school rules
Usage Note
Used with both physical limits and abstract ones such as rules, experience, or responsibility.
2. with a person or thing not included in what is being counted or considered
with a person or thing not included in what is being counted or considered
Outside weekends, the cafe closes at six during winter.
formal use meaning except on
Outside one small fee, the event is free.
outside + one excluded item
Nobody answered outside the night guard at the gate.
Outside chocolate, Nora rarely eats sweets after dinner.
- outside weekends
- outside one fee
- outside the night guard
- outside chocolate
Grammar Patterns
outside weekends
outside one fee
outside a short break
Usage Note
This is a rare formal alternative to 'except' or 'except for'. In everyday English, most speakers choose those more common forms.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adverb/1
For adverb sense 1, outside is the most useful everyday word when something is not in a room or building but is close to it. Outdoors is broader: it means in the open air generally, not necessarily next to a particular door or wall. Out is common in conversation, but it can be vague because it may mean not at home, not available, or away from a place. Beyond is not a simple synonym here; it usually points to being farther than a line, limit, or point. Compare: 'Wait outside the clinic' means stay near the building, while 'The children played outdoors' describes the general setting.
Common collocations
Nouns
- outside chance
- outside limit
Adverbs
- just outside
- right outside
Phrases
- go outside
- the outside of
- at the outside
Prepositions
- outside of
- from outside
Etymology
Outside was formed in English from out and side. It first named the outer side of something, and from that physical idea it grew into an adverb and preposition meaning beyond a room, building, area, or limit. Later uses such as outside help, outside chance, and outside the rules all keep the same basic picture of being beyond the main space or group.