outsource

outsource — verb

1. to hire another business to handle a job or service instead of using your own wo

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveC1
Definition

to hire another business to handle a job or service instead of using your own workers.

Example

The bakery outsourced its website design to a small studio.

pattern: outsource + object + to + provider

By winter, the hospital had outsourced night cleaning to local workers.

Common collocations
  • outsource payroll
  • outsource customer service
  • outsource production
  • outsource IT support
  • outsource cleaning
Synonyms
  • contract out

    a close everyday business phrase, often used for a specific job or service

  • subcontract

    used especially when one company already has the main contract and passes part of the job to another

  • offshore

    narrower, because it stresses sending the work to another country

Antonyms
  • insource

    to bring work back inside the company instead of using an outside provider

  • keep in-house

    everyday phrase for continuing to do the work within your own organization

Grammar Patterns

outsource + work/service/task

outsource + something + to + company/provider

be outsourced to + provider/place

Usage Note

Most often takes business tasks or services as its object, such as payroll, cleaning, or customer support, and often adds 'to' before the outside company. Intransitive use is also common when the task is already clear from context.

Common Mistakes

The company outsourced with another firm.
The company outsourced the work to another firm.
use a direct object, and use 'to' before the outside provider.
We outsourced our staff to save money.
We outsourced our customer service to save money.
the object is usually the work or service, not the employees themselves.

Word family

  • outsourcing
    nounC1
  • outsourced
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Outsource' is the general business word for letting another company do work or provide a service for you. 'Contract out' is very close, but it sounds slightly more everyday and often points to one specific job, such as cleaning or repairs. 'Subcontract' is narrower: it is common when a company has already accepted the main job and then passes part of it to another business. 'Offshore' overlaps only when the work is sent to another country, often to reduce costs. A store might outsource payroll, a builder might subcontract the electrical work, and a software company might offshore night support to another country.

outsource ↗contract out ↗subcontractoffshore ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • outsource work to a provider
  • decide to outsource
  • be outsourced overseas
  • outsource part of the business

Prepositions

Etymology

English

A modern business verb formed in English from 'out' and 'source', probably influenced by the phrase 'outside source'. It became common in the late twentieth century as companies talked about buying services or production from other businesses instead of doing everything themselves.