layout

American  

[ley-out] / ˈleɪˌaʊt /

noun

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.

---

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

The new study builds on decades of previous excavations in Nida, which have already revealed important details about the city's development and layout.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

"But in Charlotte, they've got the latest technology and recovery. The layout of these are all very much equipped for what we want, what we expect and what the players want day-to-day at their clubs."

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

If you’re booking tickets, aim for seats near the bottom of the center section for the best views — though the theater’s layout means there really aren’t any bad seats in the house.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

The layout is byzantine in part because Paramount bought the former rival RKO studio lot from Desilu Productions to create the lot known today.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

“We stayed up all night, fact-checking and creating the layout for the flyer,” Vanessa continued.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya

Related Words

• blueprint
• chart
• design
• geography
• map