output

The word “output” means the amount of something produced, especially over a given period. In plain terms, what comes out of something — whether that's factory goods, computer data, or creative work.

“Output” is pronounced OWT-puut (/ˈaʊtpʊt/ in IPA).

Here is “output” used in a sentence: “The factory's output has doubled since the new machines arrived.”

Depending on how it is used, “output” can be a noun and a verb.

“Output” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Output” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the amount of something produced, especially over a given period.

Input is what goes into a process — the resources, materials, effort, or data you put in. Output is what comes out: the amount produced as a result. A factory's inputs are labour and raw materials; its output is the finished goods it turns out over a given period.

Output is the quantity produced — how much is made or delivered. An outcome is the effect or result that output brings about. A training team's output might be fifty sessions delivered; the outcome is whether staff actually improved. Output measures activity, while outcome measures impact.

Output is measured as a countable quantity over a set period — units per hour, cars per year, kilowatts generated, or words written per day. Economists track national output as GDP, while factories track it as production volume. The key is a number tied to a timeframe.

Everyday examples include a factory producing 500 cars a month, a power station's electricity generation, a writer's daily word count, or a worker's completed tasks. In computing, output is the information a program sends out — text on screen, a printed page, or a saved file.