Etymologically
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outdoor

Etymology and origin of the English word outdoor

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1748

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /aʊtˈdɔː/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from out- and door, from out-of-door, out-of-doors.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Done or used in the open air: 1748.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Out-of-door is from about 1800, and without-door from about 1200.[2] Of a person, fond of open-air pursuits, it follows.[4][5] Compare indoor.[2] In Scots and western dialect outdoor was field work or farm labour.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 1200 – without-door.[2]
  • 1748 – outdoor.[2][3]
  • c. 1800 – out-of-door.[2]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Done, situated or used in the open air.
  2. Fond of open-air activities: an outdoor type.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  6. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)
Cite this entry

“Outdoor.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/outdoor. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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