outsource

[ out-sawrs, ‐sohrs ]
See synonyms for: outsourceoutsourcing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),out·sourced, out·sourc·ing.
  1. (of a company or organization) to purchase (goods) or subcontract (services) from an outside supplier or source.: Compare backsource.

  2. to contract out (jobs, services, etc.): a small business that outsources bookkeeping to an accounting firm.

verb (used without object),out·sourced, out·sourc·ing.
  1. to obtain goods or services from an outside source: U.S. companies who outsource from China.

Origin of outsource

1
1975–80

Other words from outsource

  • outsourcing, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use outsource in a sentence

  • The strategy of outsourcing is based on the notion that maximum efficiency requires specialization that companies cannot achieve.

British Dictionary definitions for outsource

outsource

/ (ˌaʊtˈsɔːs) /


verb(tr) (of a manufacturer)
  1. to subcontract (work) to another company

  2. to buy in (components for a product) rather than manufacture them

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012