outback

noun

out·​back ˈau̇t-ˈbak How to pronounce outback (audio)
-ˌbak
: isolated rural country especially of Australia

Examples of outback in a Sentence

people who live in the Australian outback tend to be self-sufficient
Recent Examples on the Web Almost all Australians live on the coast: the entire outback is home to less than five per cent of the population. Helen Sullivan, The New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2024 Unlike the frequent road crossings of the Appalachian Trail, PCT hikers spend their first month in the hot, dry, and surprisingly remote outback of Southern California. Laura Lancaster, Outdoor Life, 18 July 2024 Flinders Food Co This rustic outback eatery has all the verve and style of an urban cafe. Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2024 More than 540 million years ago, what is now South Australia’s outback was part of the continent’s thundering coastline. Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for outback 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outback.' 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

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of outback was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near outback

Cite this Entry

“Outback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outback. Accessed 18 Sep. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on outback

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!