outline

[ out-lahyn ]

/ ˈaʊtˌlaɪn /

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See synonyms for: outline / outlined / outlines / outlining on Thesaurus.com

noun

the line by which a figure or object is defined or bounded; contour.

a drawing or sketch restricted to line without shading or modeling of form.

a general sketch, account, or report, indicating only the main features, as of a book, subject, or project: an outline of medieval history; an outline of a speech.

outlines, the essential features or main aspects of something under discussion: At the first meeting, we gave her only the outlines of the project.

Printing. an ornamented type in which the outside contours of each character appear in black, with the inside left white.

verb (used with object), out·lined, out·lin·ing.

to draw the outline of, or draw in outline, as a figure or object.

to give an outline of; sketch the main features of: On the first day, the professor just outlined the course for us.

OTHER WORDS FOR outline

3 plan, draft, rough, synopsis, summary.

6, 7 delineate, draft.

See synonyms for outline on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of outline

First recorded in 1655–65; out- + line¹

synonym study for outline

1. See form.

OTHER WORDS FROM outline

pre·out·line, noun, verb (used with object), pre·out·lined, pre·out·lin·ing.re·out·line, verb (used with object), re·out·lined, re·out·lin·ing.well-outlined, adjective

Words nearby outline

outlay, outleap, outlet, outlier, out like a light, outline, outline font, outlive, outlook, out loud, outlying

How to use outline in a sentence

When everything is named for its discoverer, it can be impossible even to track the outline of a debate without months of rote memorization.
Why Mathematicians Should Stop Naming Things After Each Other - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Laura Ball|September 2, 2020|Nautilus
Facebook said it observed “more than a 50% drop” in publisher revenue when personalized targeting was taken out of the equation —though it didn’t publish a detailed outline of the study.
Facebook says Apple’s forthcoming privacy moves will throttle publisher revenue on its Audience Network|Lara O'Reilly|August 26, 2020|Digiday
San Diego County officials are working with the state on a plan to re-open certain businesses, now that the county is off the state’s monitoring list, and could release the outline next week, the Union-Tribune reports.
Morning Report: The Supervisor Elevating Coronavirus Skepticism|Voice of San Diego|August 21, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Instead, try pitching blog post ideas or outlines where you can create original, unique content for each website.
Nine mistakes to avoid when contacting websites for backlinks|Raj Dosanjh|July 29, 2020|Search Engine Watch

Still, in name recognition and salary — their nearly $240 million payroll led baseball in 2013, and that number ballooned to $246 million and $303 million over the next two seasons — the outline of a superteam was there.
The Dodgers’ Legacy May Depend On This Short Season|Robert O'Connell|July 13, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Just hours after the announcement in Beijing, Republican senators began to outline just how much they disdained the new agreement.
The U.S.-China Climate Deal Is Mostly Hot Air|Tim Mak|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I had this outline that said I was going to be done in nine months,” Caro said.
‘The Power Broker’ Turns 40: How Robert Caro Wrote a Masterpiece|Scott Porch|September 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sometimes he would just have an outline of the scene and we would build the dialogue out with our own words.
‘Boyhood’ Star Ellar Coltrane: An Astonishing Debut 12 Years in the Making|Kevin Fallon|July 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This spurred Creative Director Adam Isgreen, who also worked on Killer Instinct, to outline of a Phantom Dust reboot—just in case.
Video Games Go Wild for Reboots|Alec Kubas-Meyer|July 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Teardrops flow between the eyes as a flame emanates from the outline of his body.
The Gray Lady Gets an Artistic Makeover|Justin Jones|May 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Frequently they are found in alveolar arrangement, retaining the original outline of the alveoli of the lung (Fig. 4, b).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It was the darkest hour of twilight, when there was just enough of gleam from the lurid sky, to shew the outline of objects.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
They are usually shorter and more irregular in outline, and more frequently have irregularly broken ends.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It was their firm conviction that the system under which we live was, in its broad outline, a system of even justice.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
As she left the wood she saw a big hay-stack, as firm and shapely of outline as a house, not a loose wisp anywhere.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for outline

outline

/ (ˈaʊtˌlaɪn) /

noun

a preliminary or schematic plan, draft, account, etc

(usually plural) the important features of an argument, theory, work, etc

the line by which an object or figure is or appears to be bounded

a drawing or manner of drawing consisting only of external lines
(as modifier)an outline map

verb (tr)

to draw or display the outline of

to give the main features or general idea of

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

outline

OTHER WORDS FOR outline

Origin of outline

synonym study for outline

OTHER WORDS FROM outline

Words nearby outline

Words related to outline

How to use outline in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for outline