adj · adv · noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈaʊtbæk/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AW1 T B AE2 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Characteristic of the most remote and desolate areas of Australia; very remote from urban areas.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
2008, Mike Keenan, The Shadows of Horses, Easyread Large Edition, page 135, We had a frosty meeting and he took me around to the AML&F Co′s staff officer, requesting a jackaroo position for me on the company′s most outback station in Queensland.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
To or towards the most remote and desolate areas of Australia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The most remote and desolate areas of Australia; the desert and areas too arid for growing crops.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, uncountable, usually
Examples
1951 June, W. J. Banks, Flying Doctors of the Outback, The Rotarian, page 23, Communication like this is making a big change in the lives of Australia′s “outback” people.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To travel or stay in the outback
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
the bush country of the interior of Australia
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bush
Narrower terms: Never-Never
History
Etymology
From out + back.
Across languages
Translations
19 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
на австрали́йската пу́стош
(na avstralíjskata pústoš)
— Characteristic of the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Finnish:
takamaalainen
— Characteristic of the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Bulgarian:
към австрали́йската пу́стош
(kǎm avstralíjskata pústoš)
— To or towards the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Finnish:
takamaille
— To or towards the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Bulgarian:
австрали́йска пу́стош
(avstralíjska pústoš)
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Finnish:
Outback
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Finnish:
takamaat
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
French:
outback
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
German:
Outback
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Irish:
iargúil
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Japanese:
アウトバック
(autobakku)
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Japanese:
奥地
(okuchi)
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Korean:
아웃백
(autbaek)
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Polish:
busz
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Russian:
малонаселённая ме́стность
(malonaseljónnaja méstnostʹ)
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Russian:
австрали́йская глуби́нка
(avstralíjskaja glubínka)
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Russian:
глуби́нка
(glubínka)
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Russian:
аутбэк
(autbɛk)
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
Welsh:
perfeddwlad Awstralia
— the most remote and desolate areas of Australia
