outpost

American  

[out-pohst] / ˈaʊtˌpoʊst /

noun

1. a station established at a distance from the main body of an army to protect it from surprise attack.

   We keep only a small garrison of men at our desert outposts.

2. the body of troops stationed there; detachment or perimeter guard.

3. an outlying settlement, installation, position, etc.

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outpost British  

/ ˈaʊtˌpəʊst /

noun

1. military

   1. a position stationed at a distance from the area occupied by a major formation

   2. the troops assigned to such a position

2. an outlying settlement or position

3. a limit or frontier

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Etymology

Origin of outpost

First recorded in 1750–60; out- + post ²

Example Sentences

While NASA’s goal is to establish more of an outpost dedicated to expanding the reach of the U.S., others are planning something straight out of the works of Andy Weir or Robert Heinlein: colonization.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

In December last year, he signed an executive order calling for a US return to the Moon by 2028 and the establishment of a permanent outpost there by 2030.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The rocky outpost about 15 miles off Iran’s coast hosts the country’s main crude export terminal and is responsible for the overwhelming majority of its oil shipments to the world.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

A journey into the wilderness of 18th-century Canada starts with a tantalizing mineral sample brought back to an English outpost.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Cornelis van Sommelsdijk, the castle’s absent lord, had helped establish a Labadist outpost across the ocean in South America: a lush, dangerous place called Surinam.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

Related Words

• frontier
• settlement
• station