outskirt

outskirt — noun

1. the outer area of a town, city, or other place, away from the middle.

1.nounC1
Definition

the outer area of a town, city, or other place, away from the middle.

Example

A fruit market opened on the outskirts of Tainan last spring.

pattern: on the outskirts of + place

Their factory sits on the outskirts of the city near rice fields.

Common collocations
  • on the outskirts of
  • the outskirts of town
  • city outskirts
  • reach the outskirts
  • live on the outskirts
Synonyms
  • edge

    a broad everyday word for the outside line or limit of something

  • border

    often suggests the line between two areas rather than the outer part itself

  • fringe

    can mean the outer part of an area, often with a slightly more figurative tone

  • suburb

    more specific, because it usually means a residential area near a city

Antonyms
  • center

    the middle part of a place

  • heart

    the central and most important part of a place

Grammar Patterns

the outskirts of + place

on the outskirts of + place

reach the outskirts of + place

Usage Note

Usually seen in the plural form 'outskirts', especially in the pattern 'the outskirts of + place'. Distinguish it from 'suburb', which names a residential area rather than the outer edge in general.

Common Mistakes

They live in the outskirt of Taipei.
They live on the outskirts of Taipei.
the usual form is plural 'outskirts' with 'of' after it.
The warehouse is in a suburb of the city.
The warehouse is on the outskirts of the city.
a suburb is a district or town, but outskirts simply means the outer edge.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Outskirt' usually appears as 'outskirts' and points to the outer part of a city, town, or other area. 'Edge' is the broad everyday choice and can describe almost anything, from a table to a forest. 'Border' often focuses on the line where one area ends and another begins. 'Fringe' can also mean the outer part, but it often sounds more figurative or suggests something less central. 'Suburb' is different because it names a residential district near a city, not simply the outside edge. You might say a factory stands on the outskirts of Taipei, but a family lives in a suburb of Taipei.

outskirt ↗edge ↗border ↗fringe ↗suburb ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • city outskirts
  • town outskirts
  • urban outskirts
  • desert outskirts

Phrases

  • the outskirts of a city
  • on the outskirts of
  • reach the outskirts of
  • live on the outskirts of

Prepositions

Etymology

English

This word was formed in English from 'out' and 'skirt'. In older use, 'skirt' could mean the edge of an area as well as a piece of clothing. From that idea, 'outskirt' came to mean the outer edge of a place, and the plural form 'outskirts' later became the usual everyday form.