outside

1 /aUt'saId, 'aUtsaId/ preposition

1 out of a particular building or room: As soon as we were outside the door we burst out laughing.

—opposite inside 3 (2)

2 out of a building but still close to it: I'll meet you outside the hardware store at 2 o'clock.

3 beyond the limits of a city, country etc: Add the area code 212 if you are calling from outside the New York area. | just outside: Bolton is a beautiful mill town just outside Manchester.

4 beyond the limits or range of a situation, activity etc: It's outside my experience I'm afraid. | I don't care who you see outside working hours.

—opposite within, —compare beyond 1

5 if someone is outside a group of people, an organization etc they do not have the same ideas and beliefs: Outside the party the official story was that he needed to spend more time with his family.

2 /aUt'saId/ adverb

1 not inside a building: Can't you kids go and play outside? | What do you want to go out for? It's still dark outside.

2 not in a room or building but close to it: I don't have time to chat, my husband's waiting outside. | What's happening at the stadium? There are lots of people standing outside.

3 outside of informal especially AmE

a) apart from a particular person or thing; except: What else can we do, outside of tearing the work up and starting from the beginning?

b) outside a particular place, building etc: It was decided to run a campaign outside of Washington.

USAGE NOTE: OUT WORD CHOICE: out, outside, outdoors/out of doors If you are outside a room or building, you are not in it but are close to it: You have to go outside if you want to smoke. | It's cold outside. If you are out, you are away from a building, especially somewhere you live or spend a lot of time: Let's go out for a meal/drive. | I'm sorry, Mr. Davies is out at the moment. You use outdoors (or out of doors) more informally to mean being out of any building: I'd like a job where I can work outdoors. GRAMMAR People or things go or come out of somewhere: He comes out of prison next week (NOT out from prison).| Water poured out of the pipe. (Also out the pipe in American English and informal spoken British English). You go/are out of the house, but away from home home. Outside may be used alone or with of (especially in spoken and American English): He lives outside (of) Miami (NOT outside from...). 3 /aUt'saId/ adjective (only before a noun)

1 outside wall/toilet etc a wall, toilet etc that is not inside a building: Most apartments have outside staircases in case of emergency. | The house will need a lot of outside repairs before we can sell it.

—opposite inside 4 (1), —see also: outdoors 1, outer

2 outside help/interest etc help etc from people who do not belong to the same group or organization as you: My family solved its problems without any outside interference.

3 outside expert/consultant etc an expert, consultant etc who does not work for your company or organization but who you pay to do some work for you: A firm of outside caterers were brought in especially for the function.

4 outside interests/experiences etc interests, experiences etc that are different from those that you have in your job: Ex-scientists can bring their outside knowledge into the teaching profession.

5 the outside world the rest of the world which is unknown to you because you have no communication with it, you are not involved in it etc: Since the attack the city has been cut off from the outside world.

6 an outside chance a very small possibility that something will happen: There's an outside chance that Regis might be sent to Uganda on business.

7 an outside figure/estimate etc a number or amount that is the largest something could possibly be

8 outside line/call etc a telephone line or telephone call which is to or from someone not inside a building

9 the outside lane the lane (2) that is nearest the middle of the road

4 noun the outside

1 the outer walls, windows etc of something such as a building or vehicle

(+ of): We've decided to paint the outside of the house brown.

2 the area of land around something such as a building, vehicle etc: From the outside the hotel looked fairly rundown.

3 the outer part or surface of something

(+ of): The outside of the cheese is red but this is just a protective wax. —opposite inside 1 (1)

4 someone who is on or from the outside is not involved in an activity or does not belong to a particular group, organization etc: To anyone on the outside our discipline methods may seem a little severe.

5 on the outside

a) used to describe the way someone appears to be or to behave: On the outside she appeared gentle and kind but really she was the meanest person I ever met.

b) not in prison: Life on the outside was not as easy as he'd first thought.

6 at the (very) outside used to say that a particular number or amount could be the largest something, and it might be less: It's only a 20 minute walk, half an hour at the outside.

7 the lane (2) on a road that is nearest to the middle of the road: In some countries it is only permissible to overtake on the outside.

—opposite inside 1 (2)