skyline
Americannoun
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the boundary line between earth and sky; the apparent horizon.
A sail appeared against the skyline.
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the outline of something, as the buildings of a city, against the sky.
the New York skyline.
verb (used with object)
noun
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the line at which the earth and sky appear to meet; horizon
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the outline of buildings, mountains, trees, etc, seen against the sky
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of skyline
Explanation
In a city, the row of buildings you can see right at the horizon is called a skyline. The best views of the Manhattan skyline are from New Jersey and Brooklyn. When you're near a city but not in the center of it, you can really appreciate its skyline. Officially, you don't need a full-fledged city to have a skyline, just an outline of land or buildings along the horizon. Still, when you think of skylines, you probably think of New York or Los Angeles or Shanghai. The word dates from 1824.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
AFP reporters saw large columns of black smoke spreading over the capital's southern skyline in dramatic scenes, while flames could be seen burning on part of an oil complex in the southern Kapotnya district.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
As the sun dipped behind the Kansas City skyline, the 38-year-old became the first player in history to feature at six World Cups - beating rival Cristiano Ronaldo by a day.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
At least, that’s what it feels like while sitting on the patio of his new house overlooking the windswept L.A. skyline on a recent afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
That has fuelled a construction boom, filling the skyline with cranes, creating traffic bottlenecks and putting a strain on key services.
From Barron's • May 31, 2026
If the Pharos had somehow been plucked off the North African shore and placed on Lake Michigan, it would have topped the Chicago skyline until the construction of the Wrigley Building in 1922.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
