outlets

Word family

• outlet
  nounB1
• let
  verbA1
• inlet
  nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

When talking about a place to buy things, 'outlet', 'store', 'shop', and 'boutique' differ in scope and feel. 'Shop' is the everyday British word for any place that sells goods, while 'store' is its general American equivalent and can also mean a large one. An 'outlet' is narrower: it is tied to a single producer or chain and often sells that company's goods directly, frequently at a discount, which is why 'outlet mall' and 'outlet store' are so common. A 'boutique' is small and stylish, usually selling fashion or specialist items at full price. So you might browse a boutique for a unique dress, but drive to an outlet to find the same brand cheaper: 'The boutique downtown sold the coat for full price, but the outlet near the highway had it half off.'

Common collocations

Etymology

Outlet comes from Middle English, joining 'out' with 'let' in the old sense of 'to allow to pass'. The earliest meaning was simply a place where something is let out, such as water leaving a lake. From that concrete idea the word stretched to figurative uses — a way to let out feelings, and later a channel through which goods or news are 'let out' to the public, giving us the modern shop and media senses.