An Outlet Is a Shop, a Socket and a Way Out
An outlet is a way out. Retail, electricity and psychology each took the word for a different kind of release.
An outlet is a means of release or exit. Three trades borrowed it: American English calls a wall socket an outlet, retail uses it for a shop selling a manufacturer's goods directly, and psychology speaks of an outlet for emotion. All keep the sense of something finding a way out — from a lake, a factory, a circuit or a person.
- A way out. *The lake's outlet.*
- A shop. *A factory outlet.*
- An electrical socket (American). *A wall outlet.*
- A means of expression. *An outlet for frustration.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | outlet | A retail outlet. |
| Plural | outlets | Several outlets. |
| British | socket | A plug socket. |
| Opposite | inlet | A narrow inlet. |
| Related | vent | An air vent. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Americans plug into an outlet.Britons use a socket.
- A factory outlet sells direct.Bypassing normal retail.
- Sport is an outlet for stress.Figurative.
British and American electrical words
- socket / outlet — where the plug goes
- mains / line — the supply
- earth / ground — the safety connection
- torch / flashlight — the portable light
- Voltage — 230 volts in Britain, 120 in America
A compound of *out* and *let*, meaning to allow. The retail sense is twentieth century and American.
Outlet or socket?
Outlet is American, socket British. Both name the point where an appliance connects to the mains.
What is a factory outlet?
A shop where a manufacturer sells directly to the public, usually at reduced prices and often clearing surplus stock.