farm out
C1informal to neutral
Definition
Meaning
to delegate or contract (work, tasks, or people) to another party, usually outside one's own organization.
To send or transfer someone or something to another place or group; to outsource. In baseball: to assign a player to a minor league team for development.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Carries connotations of decentralization, cost-saving, and sometimes relinquishing control. Often implies the work or person being sent is secondary or not core to the main operation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use it for outsourcing work. 'Farm out' in baseball is predominantly American usage.
Connotations
Slightly more common in American business English. In British English, 'contract out' or 'outsource' may be equally or more frequent in formal contexts.
Frequency
Medium frequency in business and tech contexts in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
farm something outfarm something out to somebody/somethingbe farmed outVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(none specific; the phrase itself is phrasal)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Common for describing outsourcing of IT support, manufacturing, or customer service.
Academic
Used in economics, management studies, and sociology when discussing labour markets and production processes.
Everyday
Can be used humorously for delegating chores or sending children to stay with relatives.
Technical
Used in software development (farming out coding tasks) and logistics.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The company decided to farm out its payroll processing to a specialist firm.
- When we're busy, we farm out some of the data entry work.
American English
- The tech startup farms out its app development to freelancers.
- He was farmed out to a minor league team to gain more experience.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard; typically not used as an adverb)
American English
- (Not standard; typically not used as an adverb)
adjective
British English
- The farmed-out work was completed to a high standard.
- We have a list of farmed-out suppliers.
American English
- The farmed-out project came in under budget.
- Farmed-out players often return to the major leagues.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- (Not typically taught at this level)
- The small business farms out its website design.
- They farm out the cleaning to a local company.
- To reduce costs, the manufacturer farms out component production to factories abroad.
- The agency farms out freelance writers for specific content projects.
- The core research is kept in-house, while routine testing is farmed out to external laboratories.
- Young pitchers are often farmed out to develop their skills before joining the major league roster.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a FARMER sending (OUT) his sheep to a neighbouring field to be looked after by someone else. The farmer 'farms out' the care of his sheep.
Conceptual Metaphor
WORK IS AGRICULTURE / AN ORGANIZATION IS A FARM (You send your 'produce' or 'livestock'—i.e., work or people—to be handled elsewhere).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as 'ферма снаружи'. Avoid confusion with 'to farm' as сельское хозяйство. The phrasal verb's meaning is distinct.
- The Russian verb 'отдавать на аутсорсинг' or 'передоверять' captures the business sense.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'farm' alone to mean outsource (e.g., 'We farm the work'). The particle 'out' is essential.
- Confusing with 'farm' (noun/verb related to agriculture).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'farm out' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral to informal. In very formal business writing, 'outsource' or 'contract out' may be preferred.
It can imply avoiding responsibility or getting rid of unwanted tasks/people, but it is generally neutral, focusing on practical delegation.
Yes, it is a separable phrasal verb. You can say 'farm the work out' or 'farm out the work'.
They are largely synonymous, but 'outsource' is more formal and exclusively business/economic. 'Farm out' is more colloquial and can be used in broader, non-commercial contexts (e.g., farming out children to relatives).
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