Exit vs. Out — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 8, 2024
"Exit" functions as both a noun and a verb, denoting the way out of a place or the act of leaving, while "out" is an adverb, preposition, or adjective, indicating direction away from the inside or a state of not being in a usual place or condition.
Difference Between Exit and Out
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Key Differences
As a noun and verb, "exit" specifically refers to the act of going out or leaving a place, and the physical point or passage by which one leaves. It implies a departure from an enclosed or specific area, such as a building or room. "Out," on the other hand, serves multiple grammatical roles and has a broader range of meanings. As an adverb, it suggests movement from the inside to the outside. As a preposition, it indicates location or movement away from the interior of something. As an adjective, "out" describes something that is not in its expected place, visible, or in operation.
In usage, "exit" is often formal or technical, used in contexts like safety instructions, architecture, and event planning, highlighting the designated points or actions for leaving. "Out" is more versatile, used in casual and diverse contexts to indicate direction, state (e.g., lights out), or availability (e.g., sold out).
While "exit" implies a clear departure or way out, "out" can express a broader range of conditions or states, such as being visible, revealed, or no longer in secrecy (coming out). "Out" can also combine with verbs to form phrasal verbs, expanding its meanings and uses, such as "outperform" or "outlast," which "exit" does not.
The choice between "exit" and "out" depends on the context and the specific meaning intended. "Exit" is more focused on the action or location of leaving, whereas "out" can imply a wider array of states, locations, and movements, making it applicable in more varied situations.
Comparison Chart
Grammatical Role
Noun, Verb
Adverb, Preposition, Adjective
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Meaning
Act or place of leaving or going out
Direction away from the inside, not in
Usage Context
Formal, specific departure points or actions
Versatile, indicating direction, state, or condition
Examples
Exit sign, to exit a building
Go out, lights out, sold out
Combinations
—
Forms phrasal verbs (e.g., outgrow, outrun)
Compare with Definitions
Exit
To leave a place or situation.
After the meeting, he exited the room quickly.
Out
Not in a usual or enclosed place.
We ate out last night.
Exit
A way out of a building or space.
Please use the nearest exit in case of an emergency.
Out
No longer fashionable or in use.
That style is completely out.
Exit
A point where traffic can leave a highway.
Take exit 24 off the interstate.
Out
Not present; absent.
She's out of the office today.
Exit
Ending an application or function.
Click here to exit the program.
Out
Revealed or made public.
The secret is out.
Exit
A departure from life; death.
His exit was peaceful and quick.
Out
In a direction away from the inside.
The cat ran out the door.
Exit
The act of going away or out.
Out
In a direction away from the inside
Went out to hail a taxi.
Exit
A passage or way out
An emergency exit in a theater.
Took the second exit on the throughway.
Out
Away from the center or middle
The troops fanned out.
Exit
The departure of a performer from the stage.
Out
Away from a usual place
Stepped out for a drink of water.
Went out for the evening.
Exit
Death.
Out
Out of normal position
Threw his back out.
Exit
To make one's exit; depart.
Out
Out-of-bounds.
Exit
To go out of; leave
Exited the plane through a rear door.
Out
From inside a building or shelter into the open air; outside
The boy went out to play.
Exit
(Computers) To terminate the execution of (an application)
Exited the subroutine.
Out
In the open air; outside
Is it snowing out?.
Exit
An act of going out or going away, or leaving; a departure.
He made his exit at the opportune time.
Out
From within a container or source
Drained the water out.
Exit
The action of an actor leaving a scene or the stage.
Out
From among others
Picked out the thief in the crowd.
Exit
A way out.
Out
To exhaustion or depletion
The supplies have run out.
Exit
An opening or passage through which one can go from inside a place (such as a building, a room, or a vehicle) to the outside; an egress.
Emergency exit
Fire exit
He was looking for the exit and got lost.
She stood at the exit of the house looking back and waving at those inside.
Out
Into extinction or imperceptibility
The fire has gone out.
Exit
(road transport) A minor road (such as a ramp or slip road) which is used to leave a major road (such as an expressway, highway, or motorway).
Out
To a finish or conclusion
Play the game out.
Exit
The act of departing from life; death.
The untimely exit of a respected politician
Out
To the fullest extent or degree; thoroughly
All decked out for the dance.
Painted out the wall.
Exit
(intransitive) To go out or go away from a place or situation; to depart, to leave.
Out
In or into competition or directed effort
Went out for the basketball team.
Was out to win.
Exit
(theatre) To leave a scene or depart from a stage.
Desdemona exits stage left.
Out
In or into a state of unconsciousness
The drug put him out for two hours.
Exit
To depart from life; to die.
Out
Into being or evident existence
The new car models have come out.
Exit
To end or terminate (a program, subroutine, etc.)
Out
Into public circulation
The paper came out early today.
Exit
To depart from or leave (a place or situation).
Out
Into view
The moon came out.
Exit
To alight or disembark from a vehicle.
Out
Without inhibition; boldly
Speak out.
Exit
To give up the lead.
Out
Into possession of another or others; into distribution
Giving out free passes.
Exit
Used as a stage direction for an actor: to leave the scene or stage.
Out
Into disuse or an unfashionable status
Narrow ties have gone out.
Exit
He (or she ) goes out, or retires from view; as, exit Macbeth.
Out
Into a state of deprivation or loss
Voted the incompetent governor out.
Exit
The departure of a player from the stage, when he has performed his part.
They have their exits and their entrances.
Out
In the time following; afterward
"to gauge economic conditions six months out" (Christian Science Monitor).
Exit
Any departure; the act of quitting the stage of action or of life; death; as, to make one's exit.
Sighs for his exit, vulgarly called death.
Out
Abbr. O(Baseball) So as to be retired, or counted as an out
He grounded out to the shortstop.
Exit
A way of departure; passage out of a place; egress; way out.
Forcing the water forth through its ordinary exits.
Out
On strike
The auto workers went out when management refused to reduce outsourcing.
Exit
An opening that permits escape or release;
He blocked the way out
The canyon had only one issue
Out
Exterior; external
The out surface of a ship's hull.
Exit
Euphemistic expressions for death;
Thousands mourned his passing
Out
Directed away from a place or center; outgoing
The out doorway.
Exit
The act of going out
Out
Traveling or landing out-of-bounds.
Exit
Move out of or depart from;
Leave the room
The fugitive has left the country
Out
Not operating or operational
The power has been out for a week.
Exit
Lose the lead
Out
Extinguished
The lights were out next door.
Exit
Pass from physical life and lose all all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life;
She died from cancer
They children perished in the fire
The patient went peacefully
Out
Unconscious
Was out for an hour during surgery.
Out
Not to be considered or permitted
A taxi is out, because we don't have enough money. From now on, eating candy before dinner is out.
Out
No longer fashionable.
Out
No longer possessing or supplied with something
I can't offer you coffee because we're out.
Out
(Baseball) Not allowed to continue to bat or run; retired.
Out
Forth from; through
He fell out the window.
Out
Beyond or outside of
Out this door is the garage.
Out
Within the area of
The house has a garden out back.
Out
One that is out, especially one who is out of power.
Out
(Informal) A means of escape
The window was my only out.
Out
A play in which a batter or base runner is retired.
Out
The player retired in such a play.
Out
(Sports) A serve or return that falls out of bounds in a court game.
Out
(Printing) A word or other part of a manuscript omitted from the printed copy.
Out
To be disclosed or revealed; come out
Truth will out.
Out
(Sports) To send (a tennis ball, for example) outside the court or playing area.
Out
To expose (someone) as doing something secret or immoral
Outed the shopkeeper as a spy.
Outed his classmate as a cheater.
Out
Chiefly British To knock unconscious.
Out
Used in two-way radio to indicate that a transmission is complete and no reply is expected.
Out
Away from the inside, centre or other point of reference.
The magician tapped the hat, and a rabbit jumped out.
Once they had landed, the commandos quickly spread out along the beach.
For six hours the tide flows out, then for six hours it flows in.
Out
Away from home or one's usual place.
Let’s eat out tonight
Out
Outside; not indoors.
Last night we slept out under the stars.
Out
Away from; at a distance.
Keep out!
Out
Into a state of non-operation or non-existence.
Turn the lights out.
Put the fire out.
I painted out that nasty mark on the wall.
Out
To the end; completely.
I haven’t finished. Hear me out.
Out
Used to intensify or emphasize.
The place was all decked out for the holidays.
Out
(of the sun, moon, stars, etc.) So as to be visible in the sky, and not covered by clouds, fog, etc.
The sun came out after the rain, and we saw a rainbow.
Out
Of a player, so as to be disqualified from playing further by some action of a member of the opposing team (such as being stumped in cricket).
Wilson was bowled out for five runs.
Out
From the inside to the outside of; out of.
Out
A means of exit, escape, reprieve, etc.
They wrote the law to give those organizations an out.
Out
(baseball) A state in which a member of the batting team is removed from play due to the application of various rules of the game such as striking out, hitting a fly ball which is caught by the fielding team before bouncing, etc.
Out
(cricket) A dismissal; a state in which a member of the batting team finishes his turn at bat, due to the application of various rules of the game, such as the bowler knocking over the batsman's wicket with the ball.
Out
(poker) A card which can make a hand a winner.
Out
(dated) A trip out; an outing.
Out
One who, or that which, is out; especially, one who is out of office.
Out
A place or space outside of something; a nook or corner; an angle projecting outward; an open space.
Out
A word or words omitted by the compositor in setting up copy; an omission.
Out
(transitive) To eject; to expel.
Out
(intransitive) To come or go out; to get out or away; to become public, revealed, or apparent.
Out
(transitive) To reveal (a person or organization) as having a certain secret, such as a being a secret agent or undercover detective.
Out
(transitive) To reveal (a secret).
A Brazilian company outed the new mobile phone design.
Out
To reveal (a person) as LGBT+ (gay, trans, etc).
Out
To kill; to snuff out.
Out
Not inside a place one might otherwise be expected to be, especially a place one was formerly or is customarily inside:
Out
Not at home, or not at one's office or place of employment.
I'm sorry, Mr Smith is out at the moment.
Out
Not in jail, prison, or captivity; freed from confinement
Sentenced to five years, he could be out in three with good behavior.
Out
Not inside or within something.
I worked away cleaning the U-bend until all the gunge was out.
Out
Not fitted or inserted into something.
The TV won't work with the plug out!
Out
(sports) Of the ball or other playing implement, falling or passing or being situated outside the bounds of the playing area.
I thought the ball hit the line, but the umpire said it was out.
Out
Not (or no longer) acceptable or in consideration, play, availability, or operation:
Out
(in various games; used especially of a batsman or batter in cricket or baseball) Dismissed from play under the rules of the game.
He bowls, Johnson pokes at it ... and ... Johnson is out! Caught behind by Ponsonby!
Out
(of ideas, plans, etc.) Discarded; no longer a possibility.
Right, so that idea's out. Let's move on to the next one.
Out
(of options) acceptable, permissible
I've got diabetes so cookies are right out
Out
(of certain services, devices, or facilities) Not available; out of service.
Power is out in the entire city.
My wi-fi is out.
Out
(of a user of a service) Not having availability of a service, such as power or communications.
Most of the city got service back yesterday, but my neighborhood is still out.
Out
(of lamps, fires etc.) Not shining or burning.
I called round to the house but all the lights were out and no one was home.
Out
(of an organization, etc.) Temporarily not in operation, or not being attended as usual.
School is out tomorrow due to snow; when college is out for the summer, I'll head back to my home state
When school gets out today; after school's out I go to the library until my mom gets off work
Out
No longer popular or in fashion.
Black is out this season. The new black is white.
Out
Open or public (about something).
Out
(LGBT) Openly acknowledging that one is LGBT+ (gay, trans, etc).
It's no big deal to be out in the entertainment business.
Out
Open, public; public about or openly acknowledging some (usually specified) identity.
Out
Freed from from secrecy.
My secret is out.
Out
Available to be seen, or to be interacted with in some way:
Out
Released, available for purchase, download or other use.
Did you hear? Their newest CD is out!
Out
(of flowers) In bloom.
The garden looks beautiful now that the roses are out.
Out
(of the sun, moon or stars) Visible in the sky; not obscured by clouds.
The sun is out, and it's a lovely day.
Out
(obsolete) Of a young lady: having entered society and available to be courted.
Out
Of the tide, at or near its lowest level.
You can walk to the island when the tide's out.
Out
Without; no longer in possession of; not having more
Do you have any bread? Sorry, we're out.
Out
(of calculations or measurements) Containing errors or discrepancies; in error by a stated amount.
Nothing adds up in this report. All these figures are out.
The measurement was out by three millimetres.
Out
A radio procedure word meaning that the station is finished with its transmission and does not expect a response.
Destruction. Two T-72s destroyed. Three foot mobiles down. Out.
Out
Get out; begone; away!
Out
In its original and strict sense, out means from the interior of something; beyond the limits or boundary of somethings; in a position or relation which is exterior to something; - opposed to in or into. The something may be expressed after of, from, etc. (see Out of, below); or, if not expressed, it is implied; as, he is out; or, he is out of the house, office, business, etc.; he came out; or, he came out from the ship, meeting, sect, party, etc.
Out
Away; abroad; off; from home, or from a certain, or a usual, place; not in; not in a particular, or a usual, place; as, the proprietor is out, his team was taken out. Opposite of in.
He hath been out (of the country) nine years.
Out
Beyond the limits of concealment, confinement, privacy, constraint, etc., actual or figurative; hence, not in concealment, constraint, etc., in, or into, a state of freedom, openness, disclosure, publicity, etc.; a matter of public knowledge; as, the sun shines out; he laughed out, to be out at the elbows; the secret has leaked out, or is out; the disease broke out on his face; the book is out.
Leaves are out and perfect in a month.
She has not been out [in general society] very long.
Out
Beyond the limit of existence, continuance, or supply; to the end; completely; hence, in, or into, a condition of extinction, exhaustion, completion; as, the fuel, or the fire, has burned out; that style is on the way out.
Deceitful men shall not live out half their days.
When the butt is out, we will drink water.
Out
Beyond possession, control, or occupation; hence, in, or into, a state of want, loss, or deprivation; - used of office, business, property, knowledge, etc.; as, the Democrats went out and the Whigs came in; he put his money out at interest.
I have forgot my part, and I am out.
Out
Beyond the bounds of what is true, reasonable, correct, proper, common, etc.; in error or mistake; in a wrong or incorrect position or opinion; in a state of disagreement, opposition, etc.; in an inharmonious relation.
Wicked men are strangely out in the calculating of their own interest.
Very seldom out, in these his guesses.
Out
Not in the position to score in playing a game; not in the state or turn of the play for counting or gaining scores.
Out
Out of fashion; unfashionable; no longer in current vogue; unpopular.
Out
One who, or that which, is out; especially, one who is out of office; - generally in the plural.
Out
A place or space outside of something; a nook or corner; an angle projecting outward; an open space; - chiefly used in the phrase ins and outs; as, the ins and outs of a question. See under In.
Out
A word or words omitted by the compositor in setting up copy; an omission.
Out
To cause to be out; to eject; to expel.
A king outed from his country.
The French have been outed of their holds.
Out
To come out with; to make known.
Out
To give out; to dispose of; to sell.
Out
To come or go out; to get out or away; to become public.
Out
Expressing impatience, anger, a desire to be rid of; - with the force of command; go out; begone; away; off.
Out, idle words, servants to shallow fools!
Out
(baseball) a failure by a batter or runner to reach a base safely in baseball;
You only get 3 outs per inning
Out
Be made known; be disclosed or revealed;
The truth will out
Out
Not allowed to continue to bat or run;
He was tagged out at second on a close play
He fanned out
Out
Of a fire; being out or having grown cold;
Threw his extinct cigarette into the stream
The fire is out
Out
Not worth considering as a possibility;
A picnic is out because of the weather
Out
Out of power; especially having been unsuccessful in an election;
Now the Democrats are out
Out
Excluded from use or mention;
Forbidden fruit
In our house dancing and playing cards were out
A taboo subject
Out
Directed outward or serving to direct something outward;
The out doorway
The out basket
Out
No longer fashionable;
That style is out these days
Out
Outside or external;
The out surface of a ship's hull
Out
Outer or outlying;
The out islands
Out
Knocked unconscious by a heavy blow
Out
Outside of an enclosed space;
She is out
Out
Outward from a reference point;
He kicked his legs out
Out
Away from home;
They went out last night
Out
From one's possession;
He gave out money to the poor
Gave away the tickets
Common Curiosities
What does "exit" mean?
"Exit" refers to the act of leaving a place or the place through which one can leave, such as a door or passageway.
Can "exit" and "out" be used interchangeably?
While they can sometimes refer to similar concepts of leaving or being outside, their usage depends on the context and they are not always interchangeable due to their different grammatical roles and nuances.
What makes "out" versatile in English?
Its ability to function as an adverb, preposition, and adjective, and its use in phrasal verbs, make "out" versatile and applicable in a wide range of contexts.
How is "out" used in a sentence?
"Out" can indicate direction away from the inside, a state of being not present, or the revelation of information.
Can "out" indicate availability?
Yes, it can indicate the state of being available or used up, as in "sold out" or "out of stock."
What is a common use of "exit" in technology?
In technology, "exit" is often used to describe the action of leaving or closing an application or function.
How does "exit" function in traffic or transportation contexts?
In these contexts, "exit" refers to a designated point where vehicles can leave a highway or traffic system.
Is "exit" only related to physical locations?
Primarily, yes, though it can also metaphorically refer to ending or leaving situations, such as exiting a conversation or the end of life.
What are some examples of phrasal verbs with "out"?
Examples include "outperform," "outgrow," "outrun," each combining "out" with a verb to create a new meaning related to surpassing or extending beyond.
How does "out" express a state or condition?
It can describe something being visible, revealed, no longer in secrecy, or no longer fashionable or in operation.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
