outcome

noun

out·​come ˈau̇t-ˌkəm How to pronounce outcome (audio)
Synonyms of outcome
: something that follows as a result or consequence
a surprising outcome
patient outcomes of bypass surgery
We are still awaiting the final outcome of the trial.

Synonyms of outcome

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of outcome in a Sentence

the outcome of the election We are still awaiting the final outcome of the trial. There are two possible outcomes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The discovery raises the possibility of a grim outcome in the search for the four men, which has led to El Salvador deploying 450 special forces soldiers to Haiti as of Friday to aid the gang-fighting force in the search. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026 Those with high levels of hope had better later outcomes in health, education and employment. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026 The university has declined to confirm individual disciplinary outcomes, citing federal student privacy law. — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 Blocking certification, the groups argue, would disenfranchise Alaskans by denying them representation and injecting chaos into the election outcome. — Hugh Son, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for outcome

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of outcome was in 1788

Rhymes for outcome

See All Rhymes for outcome

Browse Nearby Words

out-college
outcome
outcomer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Outcome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outcome. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All