outer

adjective

out·​er ˈau̇-tər 

1

: existing independent of mind : objective

outer reality

2

a

: situated farther out

the outer limits

b

: being away from a center

the planet's outer rings

c

: situated or belonging on the outside

an outer covering

Synonyms

• exterior
• external
• outside
• outward

Examples of outer in a Sentence

the outer edges of the roof

The package's outer covering was damaged.

I removed the outer skin of the onion.

Her inner turmoil was masked by an outer calm.

Recent Examples on the Web

The crash happened about 9:27 a.m. on the outer loop near Fairview Road, closing the highway and causing traffic delays. —Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Jan. 2025

The home’s outer structure has wood shake roofing / shingles. —Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2025

This isn’t a hermetic kind of meditation, one in which outer havoc is kept at bay. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025

This field is generated by the churning of the planet’s outer core, a layer of molten iron and nickel that begins roughly 1,800 miles beneath Earth’s surface. —Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from out entry 4 + -er entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing outer

• come-outer
• down-and-outer
• out-and-outer
• outer ear
• outer planet
• outer space

Kids Definition

outer

adjective

out·​er ˈau̇t-ər 

1

: located on the outside or farther out

the outer wall

2

: being away from a center

the outer planets of the solar system