A period during which a service, especially electrical power or internet connectivity, is not available or functioning.
From 'out' plus the suffix '-age' indicating a state or condition. Originally used in electrical contexts in the early 20th century, the term expanded to cover any service interruption as technology became more central to daily life.
The word 'outage' is uniquely American - British English typically uses 'power cut' or 'blackout'. The term has evolved from primarily describing electrical failures to encompass any service disruption, reflecting our increasing dependence on interconnected systems.
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