What does pullout mean?
A pullout most often means a removable or separately printed section of a publication. Publishers use such sections for maps, posters, practical guides, reference material, or features that readers may want to keep after discarding the main issue. The adjective pull-out describes an object that can be pulled out or extended, as with a pull-out drawer, shelf, or seat. In a different sense, a pullout is a withdrawal from a conflict, negotiation, or commitment, often one made suddenly or under pressure. The noun is usually written as one word when standing alone, while the adjective is commonly hyphenated. Overall, the word suggests something separable or temporary: a section removed from its publication, a component extended from its housing, or a group departing from a larger undertaking.
A removable or separately printed section of a publication; also, a withdrawal from a conflict, negotiation, or commitment.
"The weekend issue came with a special pullout devoted to home design."
The withdrawal sense often carries a strategic, abrupt, or military connotation.
Designed so that it can be pulled out, extended, or removed from a larger structure.
"We ate at the pull-out table beside the kitchen window."
The attributive form is normally hyphenated.
The regular plural refers to separate removable publication sections or instances of withdrawal.
"Several special pullouts were distributed with the newspaper."
A pullout turns part of a publication into something readers can remove, unfold, or keep.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pullout come from?
The word is an English compound formed from pull and out. Its publication and mechanical senses developed from the idea of something being drawn out, removed, or made separately available. Because both elements are basic English words rather than loanwords, the compound has no conventional set of foreign-language cognates.
Related word forms
How pullout is actually used
The word is strongly associated with publishing when it refers to a removable publication section. In the sense of withdrawal, it can sound formal, strategic, or military. As a modifier, the compound is normally hyphenated.