noun
outsider; person outside the favored group
Refers to someone who is not part of the inner circle or favored group, often in organizational or social contexts.
彼は長年会社にいるが、いつも外様扱いだ。
He has been with the company for years, but he is always treated as an outsider.
noun
outside daimyo; non-Tokugawa daimyo
Historical term for daimyo who were not hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa shogunate. Often an abbreviation of 外様大名.
See also: 外様大名
江戸時代、外様大名は幕府の要職に就けなかった。
During the Edo period, outside daimyo could not hold key positions in the shogunate.
The term combines 外 (outside) and 様 (form/appearance), literally meaning 'outside form'. It originally referred to those not in the inner circle of the Tokugawa shogunate and later generalized to any outsider.