Meaning & use
outskirts
Last updated
UK/ˈaʊtskɜːts/
US/ˈaʊtskɜːrts/
Meaning
nounplural
The outer areas of a town or city, far from the center.
Grammar: Always used in the plural; takes a plural verb: the outskirts are.
Patterns
- on the outskirts of
- the outskirts of a city
They live on the outskirts of Paris, where housing is cheaper.
The factory is located on the outskirts of town.
New shopping centers are being built on the outskirts of the city.
Common combinations
- on the outskirts of
- We stayed at a hotel on the outskirts of London.
- the outskirts of town
- He grew up on the outskirts of town.
- the city's outskirts
- The city's outskirts have expanded rapidly in recent years.
Synonyms and how they differ
- edges
- More general and can refer to any border; 'outskirts' specifically refers to the outer parts of a town or city.
- periphery
- More formal and can refer to any outer boundary; 'outskirts' is more common for towns.
- suburbs
- Residential areas near a city, often more developed than the outskirts; 'outskirts' can include industrial or rural areas.
Opposites
Commonly confused: outskirts or outskirt?
outskirts vs outskirt
Not used in standard English; always use the plural 'outskirts'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'outskirts' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct preposition is 'on': on the outskirts of a city. 'In the outskirts' is sometimes heard but is less standard; 'at' and 'by' are not used with 'outskirts' in this sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “outskirts”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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