turnout
turnout — noun
- turnoutsingular
- turnoutsplural
1. a figure that tells you how many people came to an event such as a concert or me
a figure that tells you how many people came to an event such as a concert or meeting — most commonly, the count of citizens who voted in an election.
The festival had a turnout of over twenty thousand people on its opening day.
collocation: a turnout of [number]
Voter turnout in the local election was surprisingly low this year.
collocation: voter turnout / low turnout
Turnout for the school concert was excellent, with every seat filled.
Poor weather caused a much smaller turnout at the charity run than organisers had hoped for.
A high turnout at the polls is seen as a sign of a healthy democracy.
collocation: high turnout
- high turnout
- low turnout
- voter turnout
- poor turnout
- record turnout
- turnout of [number]
- attendance
more general; used for any event, not specifically voting
- voter count
restricted to elections only
- crowd
emphasises the physical group of people, not the statistical number
- absenteeism
refers to the practice of staying away, the opposite of showing up
Grammar Patterns
high/low turnout
a turnout of [number]
Usage Note
Usually singular; frequently used with the adjectives 'high' or 'low' to describe the size of the crowd.
Common Mistakes
2. a place beside a narrow road where the road becomes wider so that vehicles can s
a place beside a narrow road where the road becomes wider so that vehicles can stop safely or let others pass; also a short section of railway track used for letting trains pass each other or for storing rolling stock.
Cyrus pulled into a turnout to let the ambulance pass on the winding mountain road.
collocation: pull into a turnout
The highway department added turnouts along the scenic route so drivers could stop and take photos.
A freight train waited on a siding turnout while the passenger express passed through the station.
Heather parked the car in a gravel turnout and got out to check the map.
- pull into a turnout
- gravel turnout
- parking turnout
- railroad turnout
- mountain turnout
Grammar Patterns
pull into a turnout
park in a turnout
Usage Note
More common in American English than British English. British speakers are more likely to use 'lay-by' for a road-side stopping area.
3. the total amount of goods, crops, or products that are produced or yielded in a
the total amount of goods, crops, or products that are produced or yielded in a specified period, such as a day, season, or year.
The factory's daily turnout of car parts has doubled since the new machines were installed.
Last season's turnout of rice was the best the farm had seen in a decade.
collocation: turnout of [crop]
The vineyard expects a small turnout this year because of the summer drought.
Engineers measured the daily turnout of the oil well to track when it might run dry.
- daily turnout
- annual turnout
- turnout of rice/corn/wheat
- factory turnout
- output
the standard, more common word for production quantity; works in any industry
- yield
mostly agricultural — crops, fruit, or financial returns
- production
broader term covering the whole process, not just the quantity
Grammar Patterns
turnout of [product]
annual turnout
Usage Note
Commoner in agricultural (crop yields) and industrial contexts. For general production, 'output' is far more common in everyday English.
Common Mistakes
4. a person's complete set of clothes and the accessories they wear with them, cons
a person's complete set of clothes and the accessories they wear with them, considered together as a single outfit.
Jude showed up at the party in a sharp black turnout with polished leather shoes.
Her turnout for the wedding included a silk dress, a matching hat, and pearl earrings.
collocation: turnout for [occasion]
The cyclists all wore matching team turnouts for the race.
Mayumi arrived at the costume party in a colourful turnout complete with a feathered mask.
- sharp turnout
- team turnout
- casual turnout
- wedding turnout
Grammar Patterns
a turnout in [colour/style]
Usage Note
This sense is dated or informal; 'outfit' or 'getup' are far more common in everyday conversation.
turnout — verb
- turnoutpresent simple I / you / we / they
- turnouts3rd person singular
- turnouting-ing form
- turnoutedpast simple
1. to leave your home and go to a particular event, meeting, or activity, especiall
to leave your home and go to a particular event, meeting, or activity, especially because you feel you should be there.
Thousands of fans turned out to watch the championship parade through the city centre.
phrasal verb: turn out + infinitive
The whole neighbourhood turned out for the annual street party in July.
collocation: turn out for [event]
Not many residents turned out to the town hall meeting about the new road plan.
When the fire alarm rang, everyone in the building turned out onto the street within minutes.
- turn out for
- turn out to
- turn out in force
- stay home
the opposite action — choosing not to go out
Grammar Patterns
turn out for [event]
turn out to [event]
Usage Note
Usually implies that a person or group has made an effort to attend; stronger than simply 'arrive' or 'come'.
Common Mistakes
2. to rise from your bed after sleeping, typically at the start of your day.
to rise from your bed after sleeping, typically at the start of your day.
Élise turned out of bed when the alarm rang at half past six.
collocation: turn out of bed
The children turned out late on Sunday because they had stayed up watching movies.
Yuna turned out early every morning to jog along the river before breakfast.
The campers turned out at dawn to pack their tents before the rain started.
- turn out of bed
- turn out early
- turn out late
- stay in bed
to remain in bed instead of getting up
- lie in
British English for staying in bed longer than usual
Grammar Patterns
turn out of bed
turn out early/late
Usage Note
Often used in the phrase 'turn out of bed'. 'Get up' is more common in everyday speech, especially in American English.
Common Mistakes
3. to happen or develop in a particular way, or to be discovered to be something, w
to happen or develop in a particular way, or to be discovered to be something, when all the facts are known or the final result appears.
The weather turned out to be much warmer than the forecast had predicted.
pattern: turn out to be [adjective]
It turned out that the noise was coming from a broken pipe under the kitchen floor.
pattern: it turns out that [clause]
Lara's homemade bread always turns out perfectly soft and golden.
What started as a small weekend project turned out to be Christopher's full-time business.
The exam turned out harder than anyone in the class had expected.
- turn out to be
- turn out well/badly
- turn out fine
- it turns out that...
- end up
focuses on the final state after a process; slightly more informal
- prove to be
more formal; emphasises that evidence confirms the result
- transpire
formal; used when a fact becomes known, especially a surprising one
Grammar Patterns
turn out to be [adj/noun]
turn out that [clause]
turn out [adv]
Usage Note
Very common with 'to be' + adjective/noun ('turned out to be a disaster') and with preparatory 'it' + 'that'-clause ('It turned out that she was right'). Cannot take a direct object.
Common Mistakes
4. to stop a light, fire, or machine from working by pressing a switch, turning a k
to stop a light, fire, or machine from working by pressing a switch, turning a knob, or closing a valve.
Emily turned out the lights before leaving the office for the night.
collocation: turn out the lights
Dad asked Yael to turn the gas out after the kettle had boiled.
The last person to leave should always turn out the heating.
Folake turned the oven out once the cake was golden brown on top.
Mayumi turned out the bedside lamp and the room went completely dark.
- turn out the light
- turn out the gas
- turn out the heating
- turn out the lamp
- turn off
the universal alternative; works for all devices in all varieties of English
- switch off
common synonym, especially for electrical appliances
- extinguish
formal; used for fires and flames, not for electric lights
- turn on
the opposite action — to start a light or appliance working
Grammar Patterns
turn out [light/gas/engine]
turn [light/gas/engine] out
Usage Note
Chiefly British English. In American English, 'turn off' is almost always used instead of 'turn out' for lights and appliances. 'Turn out' for a light is widely recognised but sounds slightly old-fashioned in the US.
5. to produce or make something, often quickly and in large quantities, especially
to produce or make something, often quickly and in large quantities, especially through a regular or mechanical process.
The bakery turns out over two thousand loaves of bread every single day.
collocation: turns out [number] of [product]
Sana's pottery studio turns out beautiful handmade bowls and vases each week.
The film studio turned out three hit movies in a single year.
Japan turns out millions of cars annually at factories across the country.
- turn out [quantity]
- turn out [product] regularly
- turn out goods
- produce
the standard, neutral term for making goods
- manufacture
specifically industrial or factory-based production
- churn out
informal, often negative — suggests quantity over quality
Grammar Patterns
turn out [quantity] of [product]
turn [product] out
Usage Note
Often carries the nuance of efficiency or regularity rather than craftsmanship. For artisanal or one-off creations, 'make' or 'produce' are more neutral.
6. to remove everything inside a bag, pocket, or drawer, usually by turning it over
to remove everything inside a bag, pocket, or drawer, usually by turning it over so the items fall out.
Cyrus turned out his backpack on the floor, looking for the missing house keys.
collocation: turn out [bag/container]
Trang turned out every drawer in the kitchen searching for the passport.
The wardrobe was turned out completely during the spring cleaning.
Folake turned out her handbag onto the table, and coins rolled everywhere.
The police ordered the suspect to turn out his pockets.
- turn out [one's] pockets
- turn out a drawer
- turn out a bag
- turn out a cupboard
Grammar Patterns
turn out [container]
turn [container] out
Usage Note
When used for clothing ('turn out your pockets'), it means to pull the lining outwards so the contents fall out. The noun 'turnout' (sense 4, clothing) derives from this verb sense — the clothes you have 'turned out' or put on.
7. to force a person or animal to leave a place, building, or organisation, often a
to force a person or animal to leave a place, building, or organisation, often against their will.
The landlord turned the tenants out after they failed to pay rent for three months.
collocation: turn [someone] out of [place]
Heather was turned out of the lecture hall for repeatedly talking during the professor's talk.
The farm dogs were turned out into the yard every evening before dinner.
The rebels were determined to turn the invaders out of their homeland.
- turn [someone] out
- turn [someone] out of [place]
- be turned out of
Grammar Patterns
turn [someone] out
turn [someone] out of [place]
Usage Note
Frequently used in the passive ('be turned out of') when describing someone being removed. Stronger and more dramatic than 'ask to leave'; implies the use of authority or force.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
These words all relate to people showing up, but they differ in what they emphasise. TURNOUT focuses on the statistical number: how many people attended relative to expectations or capacity ('a turnout of 65%'). ATTENDANCE is broader — it can mean both the number and the act of being present, and it applies to any event from a class to a concert ('Attendance at the meeting was poor'). CROWD emphasises the physical gathering of people and has a warmer, more social feel ('A huge crowd gathered in the square'). VOTER COUNT is restricted to elections and is purely numerical, without the civic implication that 'turnout' carries. PARTICIPATION implies active involvement rather than just showing up ('high participation in the workshop'). In everyday conversation, 'turnout' is best for elections and organised events, 'attendance' for classes and meetings, and 'crowd' for informal gatherings.
Common collocations
Etymology
Turnout comes from the phrasal verb 'turn out', formed by combining the Old English 'turnian' (to rotate, to change direction) and 'ūt' (outward, outside). 'Turnian' was borrowed from Latin 'tornare' (to round off, to turn on a lathe), which came from Greek 'tornos' (lathe, circular motion). The noun 'turnout' was first recorded in the early 1800s, initially referring to a carriage and its horses (the equipment 'turned out' for use). Over time, the meaning shifted from the equipment itself to the people who 'turned out' to attend an event.