# outage

/ˈaʊtədʒ/ (US) · /ˈaʊtɪdʒ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/outage
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

a period of time when a service is not working. This usually refers to things like electricity, the internet, or water.

For teachers: a period during which a power supply or other public service is unavailable. Refers to a temporary suspension of utility or network operations.

## Examples

- The storm caused a major power outage in our neighborhood.
- The bank apologized for the website outage that prevented customers from accessing their accounts all morning.
- Engineers worked through the night to identify the software bug responsible for the global server outage that disrupted international communications for several hours.

## Usage notes

- Often paired with descriptive nouns like 'power', 'internet', or 'network'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.