layout
Americannoun
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an arrangement or plan.
We objected to the layout of the house.
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the act of laying or spreading out.
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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.
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(in advertising, publishing, etc.) the technique, process, or occupation of making layouts.
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Journalism. spread.
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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.
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Informal. a display or spread, as of dishes at a meal.
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a collection or set of tools, implements, or the like.
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Cards. an arrangement of cards dealt according to a given pattern, as in solitaire.
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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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing layout
Reading: Informational - Middle School
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Writing - Middle School
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Text Structure
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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.
Some supporters seemed confused by the mega-mall's layout as several approached staff asking for directions to MetLife stadium.
From Barron's • Jun. 27, 2026
Dubbed the French Ivy House thanks to the abundance of ivy covering the stucco walls, the 3,473-square-foot layout of the star’s former dwelling features plenty of space.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026
When it’s time for bigger renovations, employees should be involved in the big decisions—not just paint colors and furniture, but layout, configuration and function.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
Rouillard oversaw two significant changes to the traditional Riviera layout.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
“I won’t go with you, but I’ll give you a plan for the layout of the Court. That should at least get you past the first checkpoint.”
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
