outline
Americannoun
-
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)
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
-
to draw or display the outline of
-
to give the main features or general idea of
Synonym Usage
See form.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
outlinesimple
-
outlinessimple
-
have outlinedperfect
-
has outlinedperfect
-
am outliningprogressive
-
are outliningprogressive
-
is outliningprogressive
-
have been outliningperfect progressive
-
has been outliningperfect progressive
Past
-
outlinedsimple
-
had outlinedperfect
-
was outliningprogressive
-
were outliningprogressive
-
had been outliningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of outline
Explanation
The gist, the essence, the major parts of something — that's its outline. The origins of outline come from the artistic practice of marking a line around the outer edge of a person or shape in a picture before filling it in. Only later, in the 1800s, did it come to be applied to verbal descriptions, too. Technically an outline suggests a condensed form of something, but as any high school or college student knows, course outlines have a habit of being pretty darn long. In 1919 H.G. Wells wrote a book called An Outline of History. Its length? 1,324 pages.
Vocabulary lists containing outline
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Expository Writing, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Writing - Middle School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Presented to and approved by the County of Los Angeles, the documents outline studio, theme park and hotel expansion plans, detailing requirements such as as height, noise and more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
So if you agreed to send notes after every meeting, make sure you’re sending a detailed outline of what you both talked about in a timely manner.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
The broad outline is widely accepted, but the details remain uncertain.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
The room had been used as a dormitory when it was a nuclear bunker and he could "see where the outline of all the beds were".
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
I looked around to see we had made a smooth groove about one inch deep around the outline of the obelisk.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
Beyond dispatches from his red-and-white-checkered tablecloth joint and name-dropping, Dan Tana’s memoir outlines his significant contributions to soccer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
In our conversation, he outlines his "Patchwork" concept, in which traditional nation-states are replaced with a global network of sovereign mini-countries owned by shareholders and competing for citizens like a business competes for customers.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
The proposal, which will likely be finalized later this year, outlines a set of factors for employers to consider before approving investments.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
Dicker said traders have kept losing money on long oil positions each time Trump announces he has in hand the outlines of a deal.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
When she could make out windows and the dark outlines of houses, she pulled her sled to the second bench above the river and stopped.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
Beijing has outlined new rules in a series of announcements in recent months from the government, central bank, securities regulator and tax authority.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
So if the amount outlined within the job posting is below what you want to earn, “don’t be afraid to move on” to other opportunities.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
EMR has also outlined "challenges" with both the 810s and the older Class 222s, affecting the toilets, air conditioning and catering equipment.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
In a statement, the sheriff’s department said the “criminal actions outlined in this case are unacceptable and inconsistent” with its “high standards and expectations.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
“The match is over when one of the participants steps outside of the outlined parameters. Remember, this is strictly a hand-to-hand combat. Do not summon the splendor.”
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
A CPF is a mutually agreed plan between the bank and a client country outlining development priorities for a multi-year period.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
One state representative said this framework will essentially “define the corners of the football field” by outlining how large cuts should be based on reservoir levels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Europe’s competition watchdog said it sent a ‘Statement of Objections’ to the companies outlining its preliminary findings, adding that this doesn’t prejudge the outcome of an investigation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Market breadth and market leadership are two very different things, Stockton said, outlining that semiconductor stocks have had particularly narrow leadership.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
This book guides professionals to work through music, harnessing the processes that underlie music learning, and outlining developmentally appropriate methods to understand the role of music in children’s lives through play, games, creativity, and movement.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
