To outrank someone means to hold a higher position or level of authority than they do. In the military, a colonel outranks a captain, which means the colonel has more authority and the captain must follow the colonel's orders. In a school setting, the principal outranks teachers in terms of administrative authority.

The word applies anywhere there's a clear hierarchy or ranking system. In chess tournaments, players are ranked by skill level, and a grandmaster outranks a novice. In a company, the CEO outranks managers, who outrank regular employees.

You can also use outrank when comparing importance or priority. A parent might tell their child that homework outranks video games, meaning homework comes first and is more important. During an emergency, safety concerns outrank everything else.

When you outrank someone, you're ahead of them in rank. Understanding who outranks whom helps organizations run smoothly, since it clarifies who makes final decisions and who reports to whom.