logline

American  

[lawg-lahyn, log-] / ˈlɔgˌlaɪn, ˈlɒg- /

Or log line

noun

1. a one to two sentence synopsis of a program, script, screenplay, or book, often used to sell the work to a producer or publisher.

   We've got to make sure the logline is perfect when we go pitch this idea.

2. Nautical a length of rope with knots tied 7 fathoms apart, by which a log or patent log is streamed in order to measure the speed of a ship.

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Etymology

Origin of logline

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

According to the film’s logline, Kara’s encounter with “an unexpected and ruthless adversary” leads her to “reluctantly join forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

According to the logline, the fifth season will pick up two years later with Francesca deciding to reenter the marriage mart “for practical reasons.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

I’m not just referring to the objective stated in its logline, “that monsters aren’t born, they’re made . . . by us.”

From Salon • Oct. 29, 2025

The logline for Matthew Specktor’s memoir, “The Golden Hour,” could easily imply a Hollywood tell-all.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2025

A wager ensued between the two captains, to be decided when there should be sufficient wind: Kennedy therefore examined the logline, and, being satisfied with it, he determined to throw the log himself.

From Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin; Written by Himself. [Vol. 1 of 2] With His Most Interesting Essays, Letters, and Miscellaneous Writings; Familiar, Moral, Political, Economical, and Philosophical by Franklin, Benjamin