Meanings
- historicalSynonym of Mongolia, (country); viewed as a region south of Siberia, west of Manchuria and north of Inner Mongolia (with closely related native Mongolian population), well north of the Great Wall, which never became an integral part of the Chinese empire, and later achieved autonomy and full independence from China, as the republic of Mongolia.
Peiping regards Moscow as the revisionist headquarters. The East European satellite states, Cuba and Outer Mongolia are petty revisionists.
1977 August 7, L. Chen, “Teng returns for Vance visit”, in Free China Weekly, volume XVIII, number 31, Taipei, page 33 more examples
The divisions of Wái Mungkú 外蒙古 or Outer Mongolia, are four lú 路 or circuits, usually called khanates from the titles of the leading chieftain khan 汗.
1851 February, “Topography of the Chinese Empire beyond the provinces”, in The Chinese Repository, volume XX, number 2, page 64He professed to have twice defeated the Sungars in Outer Mongolia and Sinkiang, once suppressed the rebellion of Moslems in Turkestan, twice put down insurrections in the Chin-ch’uan region in western Szechwan, once pacified a rebellion in Taiwan (Formosa), subjugated Burma and Annam, and twice vanquished the Gurkhas.
1956, Chien-nung Li, The Political History of China 1840-1928, D. Van Nostrand Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 7“Yalta not only severed Outer Mongolia from China, but also brought the northeastern part of China into the Soviet sphere,” he went on. “After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, our first demands to the Soviet Union were to recover Chinese sovereignty over the Changchun Railway and Port Arthur. Only then was PRC authority in northeastern China confirmed. . . . We raised the question of Outer Mongolia, but the Soviets didn’t respond.
1998 [1989], George H. W. Bush, Brent Scowcroft, quoting Deng Xiaoping, A World Transformed, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 95Synonyms: Mongolia
- figurativelyAny proverbially distant or remote place.
Okay, so here’s an idea, Matthew: Take some of that “free” money from “legitimate sources of government,” buy a plane ticket to Outer Mongolia—and stay there.
2006, Bernard Goldberg, “Matthew Lesko”, in 110 People Who Are Screwing Up America, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 582 more examples
Nora Ludd feels much happier when making Bayer executives’ lives miserable by visiting their homes at night. He lives in a muddy ditch in the north of England, but is currently on a yoga holiday in Outer Mongolia with his tortoise animal companion.
2004 March-April, Nora Ludd, “Bashing Bayer in Britain!”, in Earth First! The Radical Environmental Journal, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 7, column 2Troubleshooters were supposed to remain in control, and when she and Deke had one of their discussions, she didn’t stay cool and serene. Showing a weakness like that in front of a councilor was a good way to get assigned to Outer Mongolia.
2007, Patti O'Shea, chapter 6, in In the Midnight Hour (Fiction), Tor Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 70Synonyms: Timbuktu
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounSynonym of Mongolia, (country); viewed as a region south of Siberia, west of Manchuria and north of Inner Mongolia (with closely related native Mongolian population), well north of the Great Wall, which never became an integral part of the Chinese empire, and later achieved autonomy and full independence from China, as the republic of Mongolia.
proper nounAny proverbially distant or remote place.
Origin
From outer (“exterior, seen from China proper”) + Mongolia.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 外蒙古, 外蒙
- 外蒙古 (Wài Měnggǔ)Mongolia
- 外蒙 (Wài Měng)Mongolia
Danish Ydre Mongoli
- Ydre MongoliMongolia
Dutch Buiten-Mongolië
- Buiten-MongoliëMongolia
Esperanto ekstera Mongolio
- ekstera MongolioMongolia
Finnish Ulko-Mongolia
- Ulko-MongoliaMongolia
French Mongolie extérieure
- Mongolie extérieureMongolia
German Außere Mongolei
- Außere MongoleiMongolia
Indonesian Mongolia Luar
- Mongolia LuarMongolia
Japanese 外蒙古
- 外蒙古 (Gai Mōko)Mongolia
Korean 외몽골
- 외몽골 (Oemonggol)Mongolia
Portuguese Mongólia Exterior
- Mongólia ExteriorMongolia
Russian Вне́шняя Монго́лия
- Вне́шняя Монго́лия (Vnéšnjaja Mongólija)Mongolia
Spanish Mongolia Exterior
- Mongolia ExteriorMongolia
Turkish Dış Moğolistan
- Dış MoğolistanMongolia
Vietnamese Ngoại Mông, Ngoại Mông Cổ
- Ngoại MôngMongolia
- Ngoại Mông CổMongolia
Cite this entry
Outer Mongolia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Outer%20Mongolia
“Outer Mongolia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Outer%20Mongolia. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Outer Mongolia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Outer%20Mongolia.
Source: Outer Mongolia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.