ENGLISH
REFERENCE

outreach

n. · v.
US //ˈaʊˌtɹitʃ// out·reach
  1. 1 community service (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the work of an organisation to provide help or information to people in the community.

    the practice of an organisation providing services or support to individuals who might otherwise lack access to them.

    Example

    The local library started an outreach programme to bring books to elderly people at home.

    Example

    The university's community outreach initiative aims to encourage students from underrepresented backgrounds to apply for STEM degrees.

  2. 2 raising awareness (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    the act of reaching out to the public to share information or gain support.

    the systematic effort to increase public awareness or engagement regarding a specific cause or organisation.

    Example

    The charity is doing a lot of outreach on social media to find new volunteers.

    Example

    Effective political outreach requires a nuanced understanding of the diverse concerns held by different segments of the electorate.

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  1. 3 to provide services (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    to offer help or services to people who need them.

    to engage in the act of providing charitable, medical, or religious services to a target population.

    Example

    The clinic plans to outreach to rural areas where there are no doctors.

    Example

    Non-profit organisations often outreach to marginalised communities to ensure that essential health information is distributed equitably.

    Usage

    Often used as an intransitive verb followed by the preposition 'to'.

  2. 4 to exceed (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary

    to reach further than something else or to go beyond a limit.

    to surpass in reach or extent; to exceed a physical or metaphorical boundary.

    Example

    The company's expenses began to outreach its actual income.

    Example

    The poet's ambition seemed to outreach his technical skill, resulting in works that were grand but structurally flawed.

    • underperform
Origin

From out- + reach.

Word family

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