An outing is a trip or excursion somewhere for fun, learning, or a special purpose. When your class goes on an outing to the science museum, everyone leaves school together to explore exhibits and learn outside the regular classroom. A family outing might mean going to the beach for the afternoon or visiting a state park to hike and have a picnic.

The word suggests a deliberate trip with a clear destination, planned in advance and involving leaving your normal surroundings for a while. Your scout troop might organize an outing to go camping, or your family might plan an outing to see a baseball game.

Outings can be short, like a quick trip to get ice cream, or last all day, like visiting an amusement park. What makes it an outing is the sense that it’s a special event, something a bit out of the ordinary routine. When someone suggests, “Let's make an outing of it,” they mean turning a simple errand into something more fun and memorable.