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to outsource

to outsource

65 5.3
To hire another company to do work your company usually does
  • verb
  • /ˈaʊtˌsɔrs/
translation icon : externalizar
  • The company decided to outsource its customer support to a specialized firm.
  • outsource manufacturing
  • companies outsource
  • outsource jobs

It's all partnered, outsourced from Angel to Mez.

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Examples

  • So why not outsource that part of the business to banks?

  • Therefore, the company decided to outsource most of the parts process at the new plant.

    Academic text (2002)
  • So it turns out I did have to outsource some stuff.

  • So it's actually in her best interest to kind of outsource that to the crowd.

  • We're going to outsource our fulfillment soon as well.

  • I think great teams, first of all, don't outsource this completely.

  • And truth be told, my opinion is it kind of should be outsourced in most cases.

  • Yet our previous experience with outsourced Chinese motors had included both quality and delivery issues.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Any discussion about how U.S. companies are outsourcing manufacturing quickly becomes a discussion about China.

    Academic text (2006)
  • They're outsourcing our production.

Synonyms

to subcontract
vsto outsource
  • Specialized
9 5.9

To hire another company to do part of a contract you must do

is broader and covers directly obtaining goods or services from outside suppliers
to farm out
vsto outsource
7 4.9

To pay another person or company to do work for you

is a general practice of getting goods or services from outside suppliers
to contract out
vsto outsource
2 4.2

Pay an outside company to do work instead of hiring staff

is about obtaining goods or services broadly from external suppliers
to job
vsto outsource
  • UK
7.4

To hire another company to do work for you

is about getting work done by outside suppliers rather than internal sources

Antonyms

to insource
  • Jargon
1 7.2

To move work from outside companies back to a company's own staff

How External

to outsource
65 5.3
to subcontract
  • Specialized
9 5.9
to delegate
45 3.7
insourcing
  • Specialized
1 4.9

Surface Forms

outsource infinitive
outsourced past
outsourced past participle
outsourcing present participle
outsources third person singular

Morphology

outsource = source (transparent) = out + source

The verb is a straightforward productive prefixation 'out-' + 'source' meaning to obtain from an external source; the meaning is directly inferable.

Etymology

The word outsource comes from joining out-, as in outside, and source ('a place where something comes from'). So, to outsource is to get work or services from an outside company instead of doing them inside your own company.