withoutdoors C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /wɪˌðaʊtˈdɔrz/ UK /wɪˌðaʊtˈdɔːz/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adv out of doors; outside (archaic) The children were sent withoutdoors to play in the sun. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adv · out of doors; outside... outdoorsoutside ↔ Opposites indoorsinsidewithindoors Word family Related forms withoutoutdoorsdoor Etymology AI details An archaic compound of without ('outside of') + doors, paralleling outdoors, from Old English wiþūtan ('outside') and duru ('door'). wiþūtan Old English duru Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Register & Style External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # withoutdoors **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adv **IPA (US):** /wɪˌðaʊtˈdɔrz/ **IPA (UK):** /wɪˌðaʊtˈdɔːz/ ## Meanings 1. out of doors; outside (archaic) ## Examples - The children were sent withoutdoors to play in the sun. ## Synonyms - outdoors - outside ## Antonyms - indoors - inside - withindoors ## Related Forms - without - outdoors - door ## Roots and Affixes - Root: wiþūtan - Root: duru ## Etymology An archaic compound of without ('outside of') + doors, paralleling outdoors, from Old English wiþūtan ('outside') and duru ('door'). ## AI Etymology Withoutdoors is an archaic compound of without ('outside of') + doors, paralleling outdoors, from Old English wiþūtan ('outside') and duru ('door'). In current use it is an adverb meaning "out of doors; outside (archaic)". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The historical chain includes Old English wiþūtan and Old English duru. Related English forms include without, outdoors, and door. As a result, the modern word is best read as a negative, privative, or reversative formation built on a historically older base. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Register & Style markdown