outlier
noun
out·li·er
ˈau̇t-ˌlī(-ə)r 
1
: a person whose residence and place of business are at a distance
His house was a place of refuge for outliers.
2
: something (such as a geologic feature) that is situated away from or classed differently from a main or related body
The island is an outlier on the southeast side of the archipelago.
3
a
: a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others of the sample
Values that are outliers give disproportionate weight to larger over smaller values.
b
: a person or thing that is atypical within a particular group, class, or category
She was an outlier when she launched her cruelty-free, sustainably minded brand in 2001, but has found the centre of gravity shifting in her direction.—
Jess Cartner-Morley
Jess Cartner-MorleyAmong the world's wealthy nations, the United States is an outlier on this issue: Americans have the lowest national minimum wage, relative to the median wage, of any of the wealthy nations represented in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.—Christopher Ingraham
Christopher IngrahamExamples of outlier in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But even in such a world, Beryl would be an outlier.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 2 July 2024
In that sense, manufacturing companies seem to be the outlier.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 10 July 2024
Thomasson is the fundraising outlier on the mayoral ticket.
—Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2024
That interview turned out to be an outlier, as both Robbie and Ackerley have remained extremely private about their relationship—and presumably, will do so about their growing family as well.
—Vogue, 7 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for outlier 
Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 2 July 2024
In that sense, manufacturing companies seem to be the outlier.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 10 July 2024
Thomasson is the fundraising outlier on the mayoral ticket.
—Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2024
That interview turned out to be an outlier, as both Robbie and Ackerley have remained extremely private about their relationship—and presumably, will do so about their growing family as well.
—Vogue, 7 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for outlier
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outlier.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Outlier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outlier. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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