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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have landscapedperfect
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has landscapedperfect 3rd person singular
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are landscapingprogressive
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has been landscapingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is landscapingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been landscapingperfect progressive
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landscapessingular 3rd person
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am landscapingprogressive 1st person singular
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landscapingparticiple
Past
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had landscapedperfect
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was landscapingprogressive singular
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had been landscapingperfect progressive
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were landscapingprogressive plural
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landscapedsimple
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landscapedparticiple
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.
More than 3 million years ago, the famous early human ancestor Lucy and her relatives shared the landscape of East Africa with a formidable predator.
From Science Daily • Jun. 13, 2026
And small, affordable cars like the Vibe are a rarity in today’s automotive landscape.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026
A swimming pool and tennis courts can be seen in the background and the landscape is dotted with power lines and trees.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
Unlike in Mexico, where vast plantations dominate the landscape, nobody grows agave commercially in India - at least not yet.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
It struck him that his landscape had changed.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
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.
