layout

American  

[ley-out] / ˈleɪˌaʊt /

noun

• layouts
  plural

1. an arrangement or plan.

   We objected to the layout of the house.

2. the act of laying or spreading out.

3. a plan or sketch, as of an advertisement or a page of a newspaper or magazine, indicating the arrangement and relationship of the parts, as of type and artwork.

4. (in advertising, publishing, etc.) the technique, process, or occupation of making layouts.

5. Journalism. spread.

6. Informal. a place, as of residence or business, and the features that go with it; a setup.

   a fancy layout with a swimming pool and a tennis court.

7. Informal. a display or spread, as of dishes at a meal.

8. a collection or set of tools, implements, or the like.

9. Cards. an arrangement of cards dealt according to a given pattern, as in solitaire.

10. Diving, Gymnastics. a body position in which one is fully extended and arched backward, with the legs together and straight, the head thrown back, and the arms extended sideways.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• layouts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of layout

1840–50, noun use of verb phrase lay out

Explanation

A layout is a plan or design, like the odd layout of your friend's house, where you have to walk through two bedrooms to get to the bathroom. Anything that's planned on paper and then constructed in three dimensions has a layout, including houses, buildings, cities, parks, and gardens. Newspapers, magazines, and websites have layouts too: the way words and images are organized together on the page. The verb came first, from the sense of laying out or arranging the letters of a manuscript before printing them.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

layout layouts

The layout includes a sitting room and an office space that could also be used as an additional bedroom.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

But Nikita was able to outline the exact layout of the rooms, which matched housing records.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

The layout made the space feel more expansive and interactive than just watching a performance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Details of the process due to begin Saturday, including location, agenda and layout, have not been disclosed other than the talks will be held in the capital Caracas.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

"Our apartments are identical in layout, but mine looks so different. You must come see what I've done with it. I'm a decorator, you know. Three bedrooms do seem rather spacious for a single woman."

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

LA28 said more tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for every sport next year as organizers refine venue layouts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

New York City’s legal cannabis retailers are vying to differentiate themselves with high-concept store designs, using art-gallery layouts, Instagram-friendly installations and social-justice messaging to stand out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

The result is uncommon room layouts like the tri-suite king room equipped with two twin-sized beds and a king bed split by a privacy divider that doubles as a playful art installation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

On top of that, certain circuit layouts lend themselves to strategic use of the battery.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

It was true that the layouts were mirror images of each other.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Related Words

• blueprint
• chart
• design
• geography
• map