sourced out

USAGE SUMMARY

"sourced out" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to the act of obtaining goods or services from an outside source. For example, "The company sourced out their customer service needs to an outside contractor."

✓ Grammatically correct

Life Sciences, Society and Policy

TechCrunch

Huffington Post

The New York Times

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

Blurring the boundaries of social and biological reproduction, ART manages to reorganize certain reproductive processes – such as fertilization or the entire gestation process qua surrogacy – as services in the self that can be sourced out to "free and independent" contractors.

Life Sciences, Society and Policy

At the end of 2015, an Associated Press investigation revealed migrant workers and children were working as slaves in Thailand, peeling shrimp sourced out to global retailers and restaurants, including Walmart and Red Lobster.

TechCrunch

The X100 has a ton of new and interesting technology in it, and it could fairly easily be stripped down, given a new mount with a few lenses sourced out to the lens-makers, and sold as a serious competitor to the likes of Olympus and Panasonic's M4/3 cameras.

TechCrunch

Not only will our manufacturing needs be sourced out to local manufacturers and designers, but our sales floor will give other local designers a chance to sell their goods in an amazing space.

Huffington Post

Virtually everything is sourced out to contractors, including manufacturing, procurement, shipping and quality control.

The New York Times

Mr. Kasanoff sourced out part of the production to House of Moves, a motion-capture company, and Image Metrics, which had developed software to sync animation to a voice actor's filmed performance.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

This is something that other companies could do when it comes to sourcing out tasks to its users.

TechCrunch

Mining and energy companies operating in or near native communities are increasingly sourcing out work to local contractors.

The New York Times

These brands can shift sourcing out of Cambodia at any point, destroying an industry worth 80% of the country's entire export.

The Guardian

"There is no prohibition on them taking people out - all we said is 'perhaps you ought to take a source out and get some stories instead'".

The Guardian

And that's a very hard problem, because you have sources like agriculture, rice, cows, and small sources out with the poorest people.

MIT Technology Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "sourced out", clearly specify what is being obtained from an external source to avoid ambiguity. For example, "The company sourced out its manufacturing to reduce costs".

Common error

Avoid using "sourced out" interchangeably with "outsourced" without considering the specific context. While similar, "outsourced" often implies a more comprehensive delegation of a function, whereas "sourced out" can refer to a specific component or task.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sourced out" functions as a verb phrase, typically used in the past tense to describe the action of obtaining something, such as goods, services, or labor, from an external or outside source. Ludwig confirms this usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

25%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "sourced out" is a verb phrase used to describe the action of obtaining goods, services, or labor from an external source. Ludwig confirms that it is grammatically correct and usable in written English, most commonly found in news and media contexts. While it is often used interchangeably with "outsourced", there are subtle differences in connotation, with "outsourced" typically implying a more comprehensive delegation of functions. When using "sourced out", it's best practice to clearly specify what is being obtained from an external source. Related phrases include "contracted out" and "obtained externally".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

outsourced

Implies obtaining services or products from an external provider, often internationally.

contracted out

Focuses on delegating work to external entities through a contractual agreement.

procured from outside

Emphasizes the formal acquisition of goods or services from external sources.

obtained externally

Highlights the act of getting something from outside the organization.

acquired from suppliers

Specifically refers to getting supplies from vendors.

bought from other vendors

Focuses on purchasing products or services from other merchants.

commissioned externally

Suggests ordering or requesting something from an external party, often creative work.

secured from external sources

Highlights the act of obtaining something from various external origins.

delegated to a third party

Focuses on assigning responsibility to an external entity.

had recourse to external providers

Highlights the act of rely on external providers to achieve something.

FAQs

How can I use "sourced out" in a sentence?

You can use "sourced out" to indicate that a product, service, or task is obtained from an external source. For example, "The project manager sourced out the design work to a freelance artist."

What is a good alternative to "sourced out"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "contracted out", "outsourced", or "obtained externally".

Is "sourced out" the same as "outsourced"?

While similar, "sourced out" can refer to obtaining a specific component or task externally, while "outsourced" often implies a more comprehensive delegation of a whole function or department. The phrase "contracted out" can be used to define something in between both usages.

Which is correct, "sourced out" or "source out"?

"Sourced out" is the past tense and past participle form, used to describe an action that has already occurred. "Source out" can be used as a verb in the infinitive form (to source out) or in the present tense. Ludwig confirms the correct usage of "sourced out".