- something that lies outside the main body or group that it is a part of, such as a cow far from the rest of the herd, or a distant island belonging to a cluster of islands: The small factory was an outlier, and unproductive, so the corporation sold it off to private owners who were able to make it profitable.
- someone who stands apart from other members of a group, such as by differing behavior, beliefs, or religious practices: There are a few scientists who are outliers in their views on climate change.
- Statistics.
- an observation that is well outside of the expected range of values in a study or experiment, and which is often discarded from the data set: Experience with a variety of data-reduction problems has led to several strategies for dealing with outliers in data sets.
- a person whose abilities, achievements, etc., lie outside the range of statistical probability.
- a part of a formation left detached through the removal of surrounding parts by erosion.
- a person residing outside the place of their business, duty, etc.
- an outcrop of rocks that is entirely surrounded by older rocks
- a person, thing, or part situated away from a main or related body
- a person who lives away from his place of work, duty, etc
- a point in a sample widely separated from the main cluster of points in the sample
