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outside

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adjective, adverb, noun, preposition British English pronunciation: outside /ˌaʊtˈsaɪd/
Outside can be used in the following ways:
as a preposition (followed by a noun): He was sitting at a table outside the café.
as an adverb (without a following noun): Why don’t you go and play outside? ♦ It’s cold outside.
as an adjective (before a noun): the outside wall of the building
as a singular noun: The house doesn’t look very impressive from the outside.
in the preposition phrase outside of: We usually hold meetings outside of business hours. ♦ He has told no one outside of a few close friends.
 
  1. 1
    used for saying where someone/something is
    1. a.
      not inside a building

      Outside the sun was shining.

      I could hear the sound of voices coming from somewhere outside.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  outsideThesaurus entry for this meaning of outside
    2. b.
      close to a place, building, or room but not in it

      Three police cars were parked outside their house.

      We waited outside in the corridor until it was our turn to go in.

      A crowd had gathered outside the gates of the US embassy.

      The exhibition will open on a site just outside Paris.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  outsideThesaurus entry for this meaning of outside
    3. c.
      away from a particular country, area, or town

      The postal service is better outside London.

      outside of:

      Her name is almost unknown outside of Latin America.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  outsideThesaurus entry for this meaning of outside
  2. 2
    moving or looking out of somewhere
    1. a.
      moving or looking out of a building or room

      Let’s go outside and sit in the sun.

      I walked over to the window and looked outside.

      Residents were warned not to venture outside their homes.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  outsideThesaurus entry for this meaning of outside
    2. b.
      moving out of a country, area, or town

      Emily Brontë had never travelled outside Yorkshire.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  outsideThesaurus entry for this meaning of outside
  3. 3
    used for referring to the outer part or surface of something
    outside wall/surface/shell etc:

    The outside walls were painted grey.

    First remove the outside skin of the onion.

    the outside of something:

    The outside of the house is in urgent need of repair.

  4. 4
    not within the limits of something
    1. a.
      not within the limits of a particular time, range, or situation

      classes held outside normal school hours

      The failure was caused by circumstances outside our control.

      Until then love was something outside my experience.

    2. b.
      not within the limits of a particular subject or activity

      George’s passion outside business is rugby.

      outside of:

      mathematical discoveries that will have a big impact outside of mathematics

  5. 5
    not within a particular group or organization
    1. a.
      used for saying what is done or known by people who are not in a particular group or organization

      Observers outside the government believe the programme is a waste of money.

      The secret was never revealed outside the family circle.

    2. b.
      used for referring to people who do not belong to a particular group or organization
      from outside:

      The company brought in advisers from outside.

      outside help/interference/influence etc:

      State governors resent outside interference from Washington.

      outside experts/contractors/advisers etc (=ones not employed by the organization):

      The department has commissioned outside contractors to do the job.

  6. 6
    except a particular thing or person
    outside of:

    I seldom meet anyone outside of the people I work with.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  outsideThesaurus entry for this meaning of outside

phrases

This is the British English definition of outside. View American English definition of outside.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

 

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