outing
B2Neutral to Informal; extended 'revealing' meaning is journalistic/informal.
Definition
Meaning
A short trip or journey for pleasure or a specific purpose, often taken by a group.
A public appearance or participation in an event, especially by someone who usually keeps a low profile. More recently: the act of publicly revealing a person's identity, especially as a member of a marginalized group (e.g., LGBTQ+), without their consent.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word has two primary senses. The first (pleasure trip) is common and neutral. The second (revealing identity) is a distinct, metaphorical extension originating in mid-20th century slang, is often negative, and carries significant social weight.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties share the core and extended meanings. The core 'trip' sense may be slightly more common in UK contexts for organised group activities (e.g., school outing). No significant lexical differences.
Connotations
Identical connotations for both senses. The 'revealing' sense is universally understood but considered sensitive/potentially harmful language.
Frequency
Comparatively frequent in both. The 'trip' sense is everyday; the 'revealing' sense is frequent in media/political discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[organise/plan/go on] + an outingouting + [to/at/in] + [place]outing + [for] + [group]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A day's outing (a pleasant trip)”
- “Forced outing (non-consensual revelation of identity)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except for informal team-building events ('department outing').
Academic
Rare in formal writing; may appear in sociology/linguistics re: the 'revealing' sense.
Everyday
Very common for the 'trip' sense.
Technical
Not applicable.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The tabloids threatened to out the MP.
- He was outed as a whistleblower.
American English
- The article outed several celebrities.
- Activists condemned the effort to out private citizens.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard)
American English
- (Not standard)
adjective
British English
- (Rare as adjective; gerund use) The outing club meets on Saturdays.
- An outing day was planned.
American English
- (Rare as adjective; gerund use) She's on the outing committee.
- The outing budget was approved.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Our school outing to the museum was fun.
- The family planned an outing to the park.
- The annual office outing to the seaside was cancelled due to rain.
- We're organising an outing for the new students.
- The journalist faced criticism for outing the source's identity.
- The hiking club's outing in the Lake District was spectacular.
- The politician's forced outing in the media sparked a debate about privacy laws.
- What began as a simple outing evolved into a complex logistical endeavour.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: OUT + ING = the action of going OUT. You are 'out-ing' from your usual place.
Conceptual Metaphor
PRIVACY/INFORMATION IS A CONTAINER (when 'outing' someone, you are forcing information 'out' of its private container into the public).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating the 'trip' sense as 'прогулка' (a walk/stroll), which is less specific. Use 'поездка/экскурсия/вылазка'.
- For the 'revealing' sense, do not confuse with literal 'выход' (exit). It is a set phrase: 'разглашение/раскрытие (секрета, ориентации)'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'outing' for a long holiday/vacation (it's typically short).
- Confusing 'outing' (n.) with the verb form 'to out' (e.g., 'He was outed by the press.').
- Using the 'revealing' sense in a positive way; it is generally a violation.
Practice
Quiz
In modern journalistic context, what does 'outing' most negatively imply?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while often for pleasure (beach, zoo), it can be for a purpose like a 'field trip' or 'shopping outing'. Its other meaning involves revealing a secret.
An 'outing' typically implies a short, often organised, group excursion for leisure. A 'trip' is more general and can be long/short, solo/group, for any purpose.
Yes, the verb is 'to out' (e.g., 'out someone'). It means to reveal a secret, especially about someone's sexuality or hidden role. The noun 'outing' derives from this verb in its second sense.
The act of 'outing' someone without consent is widely considered a harmful violation of privacy. Describing such an act using the term is not inherently offensive, but using it to advocate for or trivialize the act would be.
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