outright

1 of 2

adverb

out·​right ˌau̇t-ˈrīt How to pronounce outright (audio)
1
: in entirety : completely
rejected the proposal outright
outright refuses to cooperate with law enforcementTim Murphy
2
: on the spot : instantaneously
was killed outright
3
: without lien (see lien sense 1) or encumbrance (see encumbrance sense 2)
purchased the property outright for cash
4
: without restraint or reservation
laughed outright
cried outright
5
archaic : straight ahead : directly

outright

2 of 2

adjective

out·​right ˈau̇t-ˌrīt How to pronounce outright (audio)
1
a
: being completely or exactly what is stated
an outright lie
b
: given without reservation
outright grants for research
c
: made without encumbrance or lien
an outright sale
2
archaic : proceeding directly onward
outrightly adverb

Examples of outright in a Sentence

Adverb She won the competition outright. The painting is now owned outright by the museum. Their house was destroyed outright by the fire. I bought the car outright. Adjective I was surprised by their outright rejection of the idea.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
The site has been purchased outright by Fyne Audio, enabling the brand to further expand manufacturing and warehousing space at its Glasgow HQ well into the future. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 The bills would outright prohibit carbon sequestration immediately in and around the Mahomet Aquifer. Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco / Grist, Quartz, 21 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Their primary goal is to inform or solve a problem, often without appearing like an outright advertisement. Alexander Storozhuk, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 In the past four years, there’s been an outright collapse in Democratic registration tallies among young voters. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for outright 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outright.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Adjective

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of outright was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near outright

Cite this Entry

“Outright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outright. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

outright

1 of 2 adverb
out·​right (ˈ)au̇t-ˈrīt How to pronounce outright (audio)
1
a
: in entirety : completely
sold outright
b
: without holding back
laughed outright
2
: on the spot : instantaneously
killed outright

outright

2 of 2 adjective
out·​right ˈau̇t-ˌrīt How to pronounce outright (audio)
1
: being exactly what is stated
an outright lie
2
: given without restriction
an outright gift

More from Merriam-Webster on outright

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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