Outcome
noun /ˈaʊtkʌm/ — The result — what actually happened.
Definition
The way something turns out; the final result or consequence of an action or process.
Beyond the definition
Outcome is the word that separates effort from results. You can evaluate your effort (did I try hard?), your process (did I do the right things?), and your outcome (what actually happened?). Holding all three separately is one of the clearest ways to learn from experience.
Origin & history
From out- 'out' + come. An Old English compound that originally meant 'that which comes out of something'.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The outcome was disappointing, but the process had been sound.
She focused on the outcomes she could control, not the ones she couldn't.
Learning to separate your outcome from your self-worth is a real life skill.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Outcome” when the meaning fits your context: The way something turns out; the final result or consequence of an action or process.
Synonyms
result, consequence, effect, end result, conclusion
Antonyms
input, effort, beginning
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
The Repaired Ceramic Bowl
A close view shows a ceramic bowl being repaired with gold-colored material, reassembled from broken fragments into a restored, coherent shape.
The reassembled bowl is the outcome of the restoration process. The result of the artist's effort is the now-complete object, which bears the history of its breakage and the success of its carefully considered repair as the final consequence.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Outcome" mean?
Outcome is noun meaning: The result — what actually happened.. The way something turns out; the final result or consequence of an action or process.
Where does the word "Outcome" come from?
From out- 'out' + come. An Old English compound that originally meant 'that which comes out of something'.