Outsourcings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The practice of contracting out specific business functions or services to third-party providers
2. transferring certain tasks or operations to external sources for efficiency
3. a strategic decision by organizations to delegate processes to external firms to reduce costs or improve focus

Etymology: "Outsourcings" is simply the plural of "outsourcing," the noun for the practice of hiring outside companies to perform work an organization once did itself. The base word "outsource" is a verb built from "out" and "source," with "source" used in its older sense of a supply or place from which something is obtained. Its plural form, like any countable noun, is used when referring to several separate arrangements, such as a firm's several outsourcings across different departments.

Synonyms: contractings out, subcontractings

Antonyms: insourcing, internalizing