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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

out of the loop en · ADP

Pronunciation

Etymology

First use appears c. 1973. See cite below. Its use is thought by some to have roots in computer or telephony terminology.

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic) Not informed, up-to-date, or current; not included in a process or discussion.
    • "I was out of the loop," he added, explaining that he was planning to leave government at that time. 1976 September 16, “Former Nixon Aide Denies Soliciting Campaign Fund”, in New York Times:
    • Automation technology can lead to complacency when it takes the controller ‘out of the loop’ by reducing the need for his interaction with a flightcrew and de-emphasizing the cooperative aspects of the air traffic system. 1973, International Federation of Air Traffic Controller's Association (contributor), The Controller, Volumes 12-15, page 22:
    • “Well, we've been out of the loop for a few hours. Anything new that you know?” 1995, Tom Clancy, Debt of Honor, →ISBN:
    • The members of parliament have felt ignored by their leaders for much of this crisis, and were kept out of the loop during the negotiations. 2001 August 27, Tony Karon, “Why Macedonians Balk at NATO's Presence”, in Time:

Antonyms

in the loop · in touch

Synonyms

in the dark · out of touch

Translations (12)

es en ayunas (not informed) · es no estar al corriente (not informed) · es en el limbo (not informed) · pl niewtajemniczony (not informed) · pl nie w temacie (not informed) · fr hors du coup (not informed) · ja 蚊帳の外 (not informed) · ru не в курса́х (not informed) · es no estar al tanto (not informed) · es fuera de onda (not informed) · ru не в ку́рсе (not informed) · ru не в те́ме (not informed)