outgoing

adjective

out·​go·​ing ˈau̇t-ˌgō-iŋ How to pronounce outgoing (audio)
-ˌgȯ(-)iŋ
1
a
: going away : departing
an outgoing ship
b
: retiring or withdrawing from a place or position
the outgoing president
c
: directed to an intended recipient
outgoing mail
2
: openly friendly and responsive : extroverted
His outgoing personality made him popular at school.
outgoingness noun

Examples of outgoing in a Sentence

Outgoing mail goes in this box. a salesman whose aggressively outgoing personality could sometimes be overbearing
Recent Examples on the Web Thomas is outgoing and goes out with groups of friends, some of whom are married. Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 In addition, travel to international destinations, Hawaii, and San Juan is blacked out on March 26 and March 27 for outgoing trips, and blacked out from March 26 to April 3 for incoming trips. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2024 During a change-of-command ceremony Sunday, Mogensen, the outgoing commander of Expedition 70, turned the station over to Kononenko. William Harwood, CBS News, 11 Mar. 2024 Use the metal clip inside the top box’s door to hold outgoing mail in a secure place. Samantha S. Thorpe, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2024 That means the next generation of the nameplate will look awfully similar to the outgoing version, only sleeker. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 Under that bill, the governor may only choose from three names recommended by the executive committee of the outgoing senator's state party, and must make that selection within 21 days of receiving the list from the party. Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 What is the date the 10 outgoing schools officially leave the conference? Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 Barca is yet to appoint a manager that will succeed the outgoing Xavi Hernandez. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outgoing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of outgoing was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near outgoing

Cite this Entry

“Outgoing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outgoing. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

outgoing

adjective
out·​go·​ing ˈau̇t-ˌgō-iŋ How to pronounce outgoing (audio)
1
a
: going out : departing
outgoing tide
b
: retiring from a position
the outgoing governor
2
: being at ease and friendly when dealing with others
an outgoing person

More from Merriam-Webster on outgoing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!