output
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /ˈaʊtpʊt/
US
- /ˈaʊtˌpʊt/
Description
- result
- what comes out
- amount produced
Think of a factory: it takes in raw materials and creates something new. That new thing is the output. But it is not just about factories. It can be anything that comes out of a process, a system, or even a person's work. A computer program has output, like what you see on the screen. A garden has output, like vegetables. Your hard work can also have a good output, like strong grades.
You might measure the output of a farm in tons of wheat, or the output of a writer by the number of books published. Sometimes it is about quantity, or how much is produced. Other times it is about quality, or what kind of result you get. If you put garbage in, you will likely get garbage output.
The word "output" refers to the amount, rate, or result of something produced by a person, machine, system, or process. It is whatever comes out after work is done or information is processed. While it is often linked to manufacturing and industry, like the output of a car factory measured in vehicles per day, its meaning goes far beyond that.
In computing, "output" refers to the information a computer shows or sends after processing data. This could be text on your screen, images from a printer, or sound from speakers. The quality of the output depends heavily on the quality of the input and on how well the program works.
But output is not limited to physical things. It can also describe less direct results. For example, the output of a brainstorming session might be a list of useful ideas. A student's output in a class could be completed assignments and participation. A musician's output is their body of work, or all the songs they have created.
Economically, output refers to the total quantity of goods and services produced within a specific period. It's a key indicator of economic health.
So whether you are talking about factories, computers, people, or economies, "output" points to what is produced as a result of effort, activity, or processing. It is the end result of a process.
Examples
- 1
Manufacturing
The factory increased its output after hiring more workers.
- 2
Print quality
The printer's output was blurry, so we changed the ink cartridge.
- 3
Team productivity
The report compares the team's output before and after the new software.
- 4
Program files
The output from the program is saved in a separate file.
Pattern
output from + source
the result produced by that source
- 5
Energy production
Solar panels produce less output on cloudy days.
- 6
Course assignments
The course has three main outputs: a presentation, a short essay, and a group project.
Meaning
outputs
separate things that are produced or completed
- 7
App warning
The app outputs a warning if the data is missing.
- 8
File formats
The system can output the results in PDF or CSV format.
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- outputnounverb
Forms
- outputspluralnounverb
- outputting-ing formverbnoun
- outputtedpast tenseverbnoun