Outlying

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Located at a distance from the main or central part of a place or region
2. Positioned away from the core or primary area, often toward the edges or outskirts
3. Found on the margins or periphery, remote from a central hub or focal point

Etymology: "Outlying" is built from "outlie," a verb meaning to lie or stay outside something, combined with the suffix "-ing," which here turns the verb into an adjective. The sense of "outlie" is literal: something that lies out beyond a boundary, away from the centre of a place or group. Stated plainly, the word describes position rather than any deeper change of meaning. The verb itself is a compound of "out" and "lie," with the same spatial sense that "out" carries in words like "outside" and "outpost." The adjective therefore keeps the original picture intact: a village, field, or district that lies out beyond the main settlement is literally lying out from it. That concrete geography is still what the word describes today, whether of farms, suburbs, or islands.

Synonyms: remote, distant

Antonyms: central