landscape

American  

[land-skeyp] / ˈlændˌskeɪp /

noun

1. a section or expanse of rural scenery, usually extensive, that can be seen from a single viewpoint.

   Synonyms:

   prospect, vista, scenery, view

2. a picture representing natural inland or coastal scenery.

3. Fine Arts. the category of aesthetic subject matter in which natural scenery is represented.

4. Obsolete. a panoramic view of scenery; vista.

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verb (used with object)

landscaped, landscaping

1. 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.

2. to improve the landscape of.

verb (used without object)

landscaped, landscaping

1. to do landscape gardening as a profession.

adjective

1. Digital Technology. relating to or producing horizontal, sideways orientation of computer or other digital output, with lines of data parallel to the two longer sides of a page or screen.

landscape British  

/ ˈlændˌskeɪp /

noun

1. an extensive area of land regarded as being visually distinct

   ugly slagheaps dominated the landscape

2. a painting, drawing, photograph, etc, depicting natural scenery

3. 1. the genre including such pictures

   2. ( as modifier )

      landscape painter

4. the distinctive features of a given area of intellectual activity, regarded as an integrated whole

   the landscape of the European imagination

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adjective

1. printing

   1. (of a publication or an illustration in a publication) of greater width than height Compare portrait

   2. (of a page) carrying an illustration or table printed at right angles to the normal text

verb

1. (tr) to improve the natural features of (a garden, park, etc), as by creating contoured features and planting trees

2. (intr) to work as a landscape gardener

Other Word Forms

• relandscape
  verb

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.

Example Sentences

The Cultural Landscape Foundation filed suit against the Interior Department and National Park Service on Monday to stop the repainting of the pool on the National Mall.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

Landscape gardener Harry Smith-Hagget has been filling potholes with bright primroses, before filming the results and posting the clips online.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

Landscape gardener Lee Claydon, 45, of Bournemouth, Dorset, died after the incident at the London venue on 2 August 2025.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

In addition to his work at the Journal, he tutors in the Landscape Urbanism Postgraduate Program, focusing on geospatial research, analysis and cartographic representation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

It was true: If the Baby Ominous Landscape style of painting had not previously existed, Beowulf had surely invented it now.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• mural
• painting
• photograph
• scene
• scenery
• view