Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
outness. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
outness, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
outness in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
outness you have here. The definition of the word
outness will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
outness, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
- out + -ness.
- (philosophy): Possibly coined by George Berkeley for his 1709 Essay Towards a New Theory of Vision
- (sexuality): Popularised by Lynne Pearlman in her 1989 thesis Theorizing Lesbian Oppression and the Politics of Outness in the Case of Waterman v. National Life Assurance.
Noun
outness (usually uncountable, plural outnesses)
- The quality of being out, or outside.
1888, The Twentieth Century, volume 23, page 156:The forces which work in and upon organic life know nothing of outness and inness. They shine through the materials which they build up and mould, as light shines through the clearest glass.
- (philosophy) The collective of things that are distinct from the observer.
- (philosophy) The property of being distinct.
- Synonyms: otherness, externality, (rare) outwardness
2008, John Veitch, Hamilton:Distance means degree of outness of one thing from another; but it presupposes outness as a fact and a conception.
- The extent to which someone, particularly a gay person, is open about their sexuality.
1985 April 13, Charles Henry Fuller, “Learning to Draw my Name”, in Gay Community News, page 9:If I use my own name to publish pieces which use homosexual themes, this decision forces a certain amount of "outness" upon those who associate with me.
2008, Debra A. Hope, Contemporary Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identities:Couples who are discrepant on outness may have conflict around such issues as where to live (e.g. in an obvious gay neighbourhood), whether to bring a partner to work-related social events, and how to introduce their partner to family members.
Related terms
Anagrams