From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishoutletout‧let /ˈaʊtlet, -lɪt/ ●●○ noun [countable] 1 GET RID OFEXPRESSa way of expressing or getting rid of strong feelingsoutlet for Is football a good outlet for men’s aggression? an outlet for creativity2 BBSHOP/STORE a) formal a shop, company, or organization through which products are sold Benetton has retail outlets in every major European city. a fast-food outlet b) a shop that sells things for less than the usual price, especially things from a particular company or things of a particular type3 American EnglishTEE a place on a wall where you can connect electrical equipment to the supply of electricity SYN power point British English4 TDa pipe or hole through which something such as a liquid or gas can flow out a waste water outlet
Examples from the Corpus
outlet• They're just using the mags as an outlet for their sexy thoughts and fantasies.• an outlet mall• Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster, 321-1000, or at outlets at Robinsons-May and Wherehouse Music.• You may need to fiddle with the valves quite a bit to get the right balance between the different outlets.• Hamburger outlets are by far the most important, representing almost 80% of total turnover in the fast food market.• The department store chain is giving up a well-located outlet in its bid to compete in the shrinking department store retailing world.• Some mail-order outlets offer a 30-day, money-back guarantee.• After having their noses rubbed in the mud in autumn 1991, they are now looking at higher priced overseas outlets.outlet for• For many unemployed youths, violence is an outlet for their frustrations.retail outlets• Competition also affects retail outlets which offer a service, such as hairdressing or dry cleaning.• Although they all share the same aim, retail outlets vary considerably.• An average figure for retail outlets is 2.5% of annual takings.• Most retail outlets provide a free insurance valuation when you buy a rug.• Since then, 110 enterprises have set up in the centre's offices, retail outlets and workshops.• Another way in which retail outlets vary is in the type of service they offer to customers.From Longman Business Dictionaryoutletout‧let /ˈaʊtlet, -lɪt/ noun [countable]1COMMERCEa shop, company, or organization through which products are soldThe farmers need to find more outlets for their produce.The company managed to improve margins in its high street retail outlets (=shops that are open to members of the public).an agreement to sell 21 of its factory outlet stores (=shops selling damaged or out-of-date products that have come directly from the factory) → compare franchise12a way of making information or entertainment available to the publicKnowledge about the environment is reaching a wide audience through films, newspapers, magazines, and other outlets.The pictures were available free to all media outlets. 