well outside of

USAGE SUMMARY

"well outside of" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It means far away from or beyond a certain point or boundary. Example: The town was well outside of the hurricane's projected path, so the residents felt safe from the storm. In this sentence, "well outside of" indicates that the town was far enough away from the hurricane's projected path that the residents did not feel threatened by it.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Several fields do this well outside of archaeological science.

Journal of Archaeological Science

"It's well outside of our ability.

The New York Times

He pestered aides well outside of office hours with his latest thoughts.

The New York Times

Petro-Canada was also given a number of responsibilities well outside of market performance.

The New York Times

But that calculation also depends on him doing well outside of New York City.

The New Yorker

He continued: "We were well outside of the bounds, and it was obvious.

The Guardian

Over the last two years, Dell's earnings have often arrived well outside of Wall Street's forecasts.

The New York Times - Tech

Food companies are likely to do well, outside of meat and dairy, where price rises are likely to be stark.

The Guardian - Business

The problem seems to be that Tim Hortons' culture doesn't translate all that well outside of Canada.

The New Yorker

Vaughan found himself a partisan without a party, in a country torn apart by forces well outside of his control.

The New York Times

Spanish fans (well, outside of Madrid) no doubt still cheer Lionel Messi when he pulls on the stripes of Argentina.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "well outside of" to emphasize that something is not just outside a boundary, but significantly so. For instance, "The actual cost was well outside of our initial budget."

Common error

Avoid using "well outside of" when simply indicating that something is outside a specific area without needing to emphasize the degree of distance. Instead of saying "The keys were well outside of the box", if they're just next to it, say "The keys were next to the box".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "well outside of" functions primarily as a prepositional phrase, often modifying a noun or verb to indicate that something is significantly beyond a specified boundary or range. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage and demonstrates it within various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

47%

Science

38%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "well outside of" is a prepositional phrase used to emphasize that something is significantly beyond a certain boundary or limit. As Ludwig AI indicates, it is grammatically correct and commonly used across various contexts, particularly in news and media and in scientific writing. The phrase carries a neutral to formal tone, making it suitable for professional and academic settings. When writing, it's best to use "well outside of" when you want to emphasize the extent to which something exceeds expectations or boundaries, avoiding its use in simpler distance scenarios where the added emphasis is unnecessary.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

far beyond

This alternative emphasizes a significant distance or degree beyond a certain point.

considerably beyond

This alternative highlights that something exceeds a certain limit to a noticeable extent.

significantly beyond

This alternative emphasizes the importance of exceeding a certain boundary.

distinctly separate from

This alternative emphasizes the separation and difference from something.

clearly beyond the scope of

This alternative emphasizes that something is not within a particular area of consideration.

far removed from

This alternative suggests a considerable distance, either physically or conceptually.

substantially exceeding

This alternative indicates that something goes over a certain limit by a large amount.

well beyond the limits of

This phrase is more formal and emphasizes exceeding set boundaries.

considerably further than

This alternative focuses on the comparative aspect of distance.

markedly distant from

This alternative highlights the noticeable distance from something.

FAQs

How can I use "well outside of" in a sentence?

You can use "well outside of" to indicate that something is significantly beyond a certain limit or boundary. For example, "The impact of the decision extended "far beyond" the initial projections and was "well outside of" our expectations".

What does "well outside of" mean?

The phrase "well outside of" means that something is significantly beyond a specific limit, boundary, or range. It emphasizes a considerable degree of distance or difference.

Which is correct: "outside of" or "well outside of"?

"Outside of" is a general phrase indicating something is not within a certain area or range. "Well outside of" emphasizes that it is significantly beyond that area or range. The choice depends on the degree of emphasis you want to convey.

Are there any formal alternatives to "well outside of"?

Yes, more formal alternatives include "significantly beyond the scope of", "substantially exceeding", or "far removed from". The best choice depends on the specific context.