outline
Americannoun
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the line by which a figure or object is defined or bounded; contour.
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a drawing or sketch restricted to line without shading or modeling of form.
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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.
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outlines, the essential features or main aspects of something under discussion.
At the first meeting, we gave her only the outlines of the project.
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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
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a preliminary or schematic plan, draft, account, etc
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(usually plural) the important features of an argument, theory, work, etc
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the line by which an object or figure is or appears to be bounded
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a drawing or manner of drawing consisting only of external lines
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( as modifier )
an outline map
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verb
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to draw or display the outline of
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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
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outlinesimple
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outlinessimple
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have outlinedperfect
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has outlinedperfect
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am outliningprogressive
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are outliningprogressive
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is outliningprogressive
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have been outliningperfect progressive
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has been outliningperfect progressive
Past
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outlinedsimple
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had outlinedperfect
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was outliningprogressive
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were outliningprogressive
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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
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Expository Writing, List 2
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Writing - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
Every familiar object — the chair, the laundry basket, the glass of water beside the bed — seemed to acquire a slightly accusatory moonlit outline.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
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
He didn’t outline a standard for judging when elevated inflation becomes persistent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Instead, he is going to launch him toward the heavens where el Conejo’s outline will remain on the surface of the moon, so all are reminded of the mightiness of such a tiny creature.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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
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
A "Defence Investment Plan Funding explainer", external published by the government outlines that £700m will be saved from the Department of Transport from its roads funding.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 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
Despite such misgivings, one can see, squinting a little, the outlines of an emerging theory.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Aschenbrenner had attracted substantial attention on social media and in the financial press, due in part to his youth, and a bold vision outlined in a 2024 viral essay, also titled Situational Awareness.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
The law firm laid out a series of potential red flags about Moore, and outlined problems in Michigan’s athletic department in other sports, including previously unreported issues with a water polo coach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
The Welsh Rugby Union has outlined how it plans to cut from four professional teams to three by 2028, with Ospreys and Scarlets set to fight to be the side in south west Wales.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
As part of “By the People,” Slate’s series exploring how Americans can reclaim the Constitution and the law, Alexis Romero outlined three possible fixes for an out-of-control Supreme Court.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026
Her curly hair is in a loose bun, and her green eyes are outlined with dark eyeliner.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
In outlining the options for an intensive air campaign, Cooper has drawn support from Hegseth, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
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
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
The three of us sat on the couch while the Colonel stood in front of us, outlining the plan and our parts in it with an excitement I hadn’t seen in him since Before.
From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green
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.
