outer

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈaʊtɚ/ UK /ˈaʊtə/ See IPA manual

Freq #5093

Meanings

1

adj
On the outside, or farther from the centre.

The outer walls of the castle are still standing.
2

adj
On or near the outside of the body.

The infection affects the outer ear.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

informant

Opposites

inner

Word family

Forms outers

Derived forms outerchangeoutercoatoutercourseouteringouterlyouternessouterplanaroutersideouterwearouterweb

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

outer boundary
the edge marking the outside limit of an area or object

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English outre, outer, outter, uttre, from Old English ūtre, ūtera, ūterra (“outer”), equivalent to out + -er. Compare German äußere (“outer”), Danish ydre (“outer”), Swedish yttre (“outer”), Icelandic ytri (“outer”). Piecewise doublet of utter.

outre Middle English ūtre Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# outer

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈaʊtɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈaʊtə/
**Frequency rank:** 5093

## Meanings
1. On the outside, or farther from the centre.
2. On or near the outside of the body.

## Examples
- The outer walls of the castle are still standing.
- The infection affects the outer ear.

## Synonyms
- informant

## Antonyms
- inner

## Derived Forms
- outerchange
- outercoat
- outercourse
- outering
- outerly
- outerness
- outerplanar
- outerside
- outerwear
- outerweb

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: outre
- Root: ūtre

## Etymology
From Middle English outre, outer, outter, uttre, from Old English ūtre, ūtera, ūterra (“outer”), equivalent to out + -er. Compare German äußere (“outer”), Danish ydre (“outer”), Swedish yttre (“outer”), Icelandic ytri (“outer”). Piecewise doublet of utter.

## AI Etymology
Outer comes from Middle English outre, outer, outter, uttre, from Old English ūtre, ūtera, ūterra (“outer”), equivalent to out + -er. Compare German äußere (“outer”), Danish ydre (“outer”), Swedish yttre (“outer”), Icelandic ytri (“outer”). Piecewise doublet of utter. The historical chain includes Middle English outre and Old English ūtre. Modern senses include on the outside, or farther from the centre and on or near the outside of the body. The wider word family includes derivatives such as outerchange, outercoat, outercourse, outering, outerly, and outerness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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