outlier
noun/ˈaʊtˌlaɪə(ɹ)/ · CA /ˈʌʊtˌlaɪɚ/
Etymology From outlie + -er.
1
A person or thing situated away from the main body or outside its proper place.
- Observing as an outlier from Scotland, Hynes sums up the industry problem: "The conversation we've had for this article is really about creating an environment in which better decisions can be taken, isn't it?2023 November 1, Paul Clifton, “One account for the UK railway”, in RAIL, number 995, page 47:
2
Figuratively An exception.
- And in a world where police officers are mostly paired by species (zebras with zebras, hippos with hippos, etc.), Judy and Nick’s rare bunny/fox combo marks them as outliers.2025 November 25, Caroline Siede, “Zootopia 2 is a stagnant sequel with one stellar subplot”, in AV Club:
4
Mathematics, Sciences, Statistics A value in a statistical sample which does not fit a pattern that describes most other data points; specifically, a value that lies 1.5 IQR beyond the upper or lower quartile.
- Antonyms
- inlier
- Derived terms
- nonoutlier, outlierness