English Reference
noun

outskirts

n.
US /ˈaʊtˌskɝts/ UK /ˈaʊtskɜːts/ out·skirts

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    the parts of a city or town that are furthest from the centre.

    the outer borders or fringes of a town or city. Usually plural; often used with the preposition 'on'.

    Simple

    They decided to buy a house on the outskirts of the city to have more space.

    In context

    The new industrial park was constructed on the northern outskirts, providing easy access to the motorway while keeping heavy traffic away from the residential centre.

    Usage

    Usually plural and preceded by 'the' and 'on'.

    Pitfall
    He lives in the outskirt of London. He lives on the outskirts of London.

    The word is almost always plural ('outskirts') and usually takes the preposition 'on'.


From out- + skirts.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated