landscape
Americannoun
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a section or expanse of rural scenery, usually extensive, that can be seen from a single viewpoint.
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a picture representing natural inland or coastal scenery.
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Fine Arts. the category of aesthetic subject matter in which natural scenery is represented.
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Obsolete. a panoramic view of scenery; vista.
verb (used with object)
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to improve the appearance of (an area of land, a highway, etc.), as by planting trees, shrubs, or grass, or altering the contours of the ground.
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to improve the landscape of.
verb (used without object)
adjective
noun
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an extensive area of land regarded as being visually distinct
ugly slagheaps dominated the landscape
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a painting, drawing, photograph, etc, depicting natural scenery
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the genre including such pictures
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( as modifier )
landscape painter
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the distinctive features of a given area of intellectual activity, regarded as an integrated whole
the landscape of the European imagination
adjective
verb
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(tr) to improve the natural features of (a garden, park, etc), as by creating contoured features and planting trees
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(intr) to work as a landscape gardener
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
landscapesimple
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landscapessimple
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have landscapedperfect
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has landscapedperfect
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am landscapingprogressive
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are landscapingprogressive
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is landscapingprogressive
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have been landscapingperfect progressive
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has been landscapingperfect progressive
Past
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landscapedsimple
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had landscapedperfect
-
was landscapingprogressive
-
were landscapingprogressive
-
had been landscapingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of landscape
First recorded in 1590–1600; 1925–30 landscape for def. 5; from Dutch landschap; cognate with Old English landsceap, landscipe; akin to German Landschaft; equivalent to land + -ship
Explanation
To landscape is to enhance a space with plants. If you landscape your yard with flowering plants and trees — and you have a green thumb — you'll end up with a beautiful garden. If you paint nature scenes, like mountains, lakes, or fields, your art is called landscape painting. If you don't paint that well, however, and the perspective on your landscapes is always a little bit off, you can try landscape photography instead. Any expanse of natural scenery that can be seen from one viewpoint is also called a landscape. The artistic meaning of landscape is the earliest, dating from the 1600s.
Vocabulary lists containing landscape
Visual Arts - Introductory
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Visual Arts - High School
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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.
See Examples For:
Work is also being carried out to build resilience into the Peak District landscape itself.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“It’s an obvious deficit in our country’s mental health landscape, and I’m grateful that some larger, more established organizations are facing it head on with this initiative.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
McElwee’s last documentary, 2011’s “Photographic Memory,” saw Adrian as a young adult, trying to come into his own and figure out his place in life amid a shifting social landscape riddled with digital black holes.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
The changing inflation landscape could spell trouble for corporate America.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The twenty-three-year-old lieutenant got out his binoculars and scanned the landscape beyond the fences of the American base.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Its unique landscapes also make it a prime tourist destination, especially for the ultra-wealthy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Parched landscapes increase the risk of wildfires, and dry soil heats up more quickly and can amplify heatwaves.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Heavy metal pollution is common around industrial sites, mining regions, cities, and towns, but contaminants can also spread into rural landscapes through the air, sewage sludge, fertilizers, and other agricultural products.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026
She redecorated her childhood bedroom to match her adult aesthetic, tearing down her Twilight posters and choir awards and hanging a floral tapestry and framed landscapes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
War, for me, had always been terrifying but also abstract, involving landscapes I couldn’t imagine and people I didn’t know.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Developers also advertised a lush, landscaped central courtyard that was a part of the original factory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
A stable conversion nestled in the landscaped gardens of a Grade I listed country house in Devon.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
The new campus, with its outdoor drinking and dining options and landscaped sculpture garden, is meant to be a part of the city, so foot traffic is expected and welcome.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
Miles of landscaped running and biking trails offer a rare respite from the urban churn beyond the gates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
“They leveled everything out with bulldozers. Right? They brought in tons and tons of that white sand and dumped it here. Then they landscaped over everything.”
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
Andrade said she has started a landscaping project at her friend's house, which involves removing rocks, putting down grass and painting fences.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Reframe retained a local contractor who is handling the project from permitting to landscaping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
By 2031, they could be in excess of 20%, a number approaching total water used by residents to maintain all of Phoenix’s lawns and landscaping.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
"From engineering to landscaping to operations, we're all working together to reduce damage and make sure we're ready to respond once the storm passes."
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
But now, as Elena prattled on about her marvelous children, her husband’s high-profile case, the new landscaping they planned to do in the backyard once the summer came, Elizabeth changed her mind.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
