The prefix out- indicates which meaning?

• A. External
• B. Blocking
• C. All
• D. Not

Answer: (A)

Out- signals moving outward from the inside toward the exterior or beyond, giving a sense of external or outside. When you see a word with this prefix, it often means outside, outward, or going beyond a boundary—like outside (the exterior of something), outward (moving away from the center), or outflow (something flowing out). In deeper or metaphorical uses, it can also mean surpassing or exceeding a limit, still tying back to moving beyond something.

So the meaning that fits best here is external, since out- commonly conveys outside or outward direction, rather than blocking, totality, or negation. Blocking would be more about stopping or hindering, not moving outward; all would be expressed with a different root like omni- or pan-; not would be a negation, typically with un-, in-, or non-.