outlet

American  

[out-let, -lit] / ˈaʊt lɛt, -lɪt /

noun

1. an opening or passage by which anything is let out; vent; exit.

2. Electricity.

   1. a point on a wiring system at which current is taken to supply electric devices.

   2. Also called outlet box.  the metal box or receptacle designed to facilitate connections to a wiring system.

3. a means of expression or satisfaction.

   an outlet for one's artistic impulses.

4. a market for goods.

5. a store, merchant, or agency selling the goods of a particular wholesaler or manufacturer.

6. a local radio or television station that broadcasts the programs of a large network.

7. a river or stream flowing from a body of water, as a lake or pond.

8. the channel such a river or stream follows.

9. the lower end or mouth of a river where it meets a large body of water, as a lake or the sea.

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outlet British  

/ ˈaʊtlɛt, -lɪt /

noun

1. an opening or vent permitting escape or release

2. a means for release or expression of emotion, creative energy, etc

3. 1. a market for a product or service

   2. a commercial establishment retailing the goods of a particular producer or wholesaler

4. 1. a channel that drains a body of water

   2. the mouth of a river

5. a point in a wiring system from which current can be taken to supply electrical devices

6. anatomy the beginning or end of a passage, esp the lower opening of the pelvis ( pelvic outlet )

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Etymology

Origin of outlet

First recorded in 1200–50, outlet is from the Middle English word utlete. See out, let ¹

Explanation

Any hole or opening that allows water or gas to get out is an outlet. The place where water runs out of a lake and into a river is one example of an outlet. When you need to charge your laptop, you plug it into an electrical outlet, which gets its name from the idea that electricity comes out of it, just as water flows out of a river outlet. Outlet is also used to mean "store that sells discounted goods" and "a way to express yourself emotionally creatively." Dancing might be your outlet, for example — the way you let your feelings and creativity out.

Example Sentences

Around the same time, the Tasnim media outlet affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard also was blasting the foreign minister for announcing the policy on social media.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

“I’m just very grateful,” she told the outlet.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

"Mum is finally free! It's a total relief," French outlet Ouest-France quoted him as saying following her release.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

She added that her church's event would be an outlet for people to express any "feelings of compassion and outrage in a meaningful and positive way".

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Her plan was to make it an outlet for some of the native handicrafts from areas where we had worked.

From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Related Words

• market
• shop
• showroom