outstanding

adjective

out·​stand·​ing au̇t-ˈstan-diŋ 

ˈau̇t-ˌstan-

1

: standing out : projecting

stood on an outstanding rock

2

a

: unpaid

left several bills outstanding

b

: continuing to exist : unresolved

a long outstanding problem in astronomy

was arrested on … an outstanding warrant on a domestic violence charge

—Kathy Hogan

c

of securities : publicly issued and sold

has 20,000 shares outstanding

3

a

: standing out from a group : conspicuous

There are some outstanding exceptions to this rule.

b

: marked by eminence and distinction

an outstanding student

an outstanding achievement

outstandingly

au̇t-ˈstan-diŋ-lē 

ˈau̇t-ˌstan-

adverb

Synonyms

• overdue
• owed
• owing
• payable
• unpaid
• unsettled

Choose the Right Synonym for outstanding

noticeable, remarkable, prominent, outstanding, conspicuous, salient, striking mean attracting notice or attention.

noticeable applies to something unlikely to escape observation.

a piano recital with no noticeable errors

remarkable applies to something so extraordinary or exceptional as to invite comment.

a film of remarkable intelligence and wit

prominent applies to something commanding notice by standing out from its surroundings or background.

a doctor who occupies a prominent position in the town

outstanding applies to something that rises above and excels others of the same kind.

honored for her outstanding contributions to science

conspicuous applies to something that is obvious and unavoidable to the sight or mind.

conspicuous bureaucratic waste

salient applies to something of significance that merits the attention given it.

the salient points of the speech

striking applies to something that impresses itself powerfully and deeply upon the observer's mind or vision.

the region's striking poverty

Examples of outstanding in a Sentence

Tonight we will honor the school's most outstanding students.

You did an outstanding job on the project.

the outstanding quality of your work

a wine that is outstanding in quality

As a president, he was outstanding in many ways.

Her novels are outstanding for their complex characters and interesting plots.

The painting is an outstanding example of the artist's style.

Outstanding among the menu items were the tomato soup and the swordfish.

She had several outstanding parking tickets in her car.

He left a balance of 50 dollars outstanding on his account.

Recent Examples on the Web

House Democrats initially planned to hold their leadership elections on Friday, but a handful of outstanding races prompted the caucus to reschedule the meeting. —Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 11 Nov. 2024

Exasperated Cowboys want explanation for no-call on 49ers’ key touchdown pass George Kittle — who was outstanding on Sunday, with a great scramble-drill touchdown catch — tried to spin the slop-fest as a positive. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024

The outstanding question remains whether or not there’s a surge in AI PC usage that goes along with that more basic hardware hurdle. —Zak Doffman, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Those millions of working-class shareholders are rooting for Home Depot to continue its outstanding record of serving customers. —Lee Habeeb, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

outstanding

adjective

out·​stand·​ing -ˈstan-diŋ 

1

: sticking out : projecting

2

a

: not yet paid : unpaid

outstanding bills

b

: continuing in being : unresolved

problems outstanding

3

: attracting notice especially because of excellence

an outstanding scholar

outstandingly

-diŋ-lē 

adverb

Legal Definition

outstanding

adjective

out·​stand·​ing

1

: not paid

had several outstanding debts

2

: publicly issued and sold

a million shares outstanding