landscape
Americannoun
-
a section or expanse of rural scenery, usually extensive, that can be seen from a single viewpoint.
-
a picture representing natural inland or coastal scenery.
-
Fine Arts. the category of aesthetic subject matter in which natural scenery is represented.
-
Obsolete. a panoramic view of scenery; vista.
verb (used with object)
-
to improve the appearance of (an area of land, a highway, etc.), as by planting trees, shrubs, or grass, or altering the contours of the ground.
-
to improve the landscape of.
verb (used without object)
adjective
noun
-
an extensive area of land regarded as being visually distinct
ugly slagheaps dominated the landscape
-
a painting, drawing, photograph, etc, depicting natural scenery
-
-
the genre including such pictures
-
( as modifier )
landscape painter
-
-
the distinctive features of a given area of intellectual activity, regarded as an integrated whole
the landscape of the European imagination
adjective
verb
-
(tr) to improve the natural features of (a garden, park, etc), as by creating contoured features and planting trees
-
(intr) to work as a landscape gardener
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
landscapesimple
-
landscapessimple
-
have landscapedperfect
-
has landscapedperfect
-
am landscapingprogressive
-
are landscapingprogressive
-
is landscapingprogressive
-
have been landscapingperfect progressive
-
has been landscapingperfect progressive
Past
-
landscapedsimple
-
had landscapedperfect
-
was landscapingprogressive
-
were landscapingprogressive
-
had been landscapingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of landscape
First recorded in 1590–1600; 1925–30 landscape for def. 5; from Dutch landschap; cognate with Old English landsceap, landscipe; akin to German Landschaft; equivalent to land + -ship
Explanation
To landscape is to enhance a space with plants. If you landscape your yard with flowering plants and trees — and you have a green thumb — you'll end up with a beautiful garden. If you paint nature scenes, like mountains, lakes, or fields, your art is called landscape painting. If you don't paint that well, however, and the perspective on your landscapes is always a little bit off, you can try landscape photography instead. Any expanse of natural scenery that can be seen from one viewpoint is also called a landscape. The artistic meaning of landscape is the earliest, dating from the 1600s.
Vocabulary lists containing landscape
Visual Arts - Introductory
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!
Visual Arts - High School
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!
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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:
“Rather than erase those histories and make the campus feel as though it had always been a singular space, we wanted the landscape to celebrate them.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Millar said she was reassessing the "benefit landscape" and had committed to meeting charity leaders who have called for a dedicated taskforce to tackle poverty on the island.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
It’s more like a schematic of a confounding investigation and a sympathetic survey of a devastated emotional landscape.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Traversing the same landscape does not make it less beautiful.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Finally, we slept so deeply, that we were shocked when we awakened to find the landscape outside the windows in complete darkness.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Canadairs are a prime weapon in fighting blazes in rugged, often remote landscapes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
In late summer 1905, as Henri Matisse was preparing for the Salon d’Automne, he decided to add a portrait to the colorful landscapes he had created that year in Collioure, in southern France.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
"These resources can access remote and rugged terrains, dropping water and fire retardant directly on the fire's critical areas, something that ground forces might struggle with in vast and challenging landscapes like Rhinogydd," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
And once dawn comes, the desert performs the same magic: long horizons, unfamiliar landscapes, the creeping feeling that we are small, short-lived creatures on an immense ancient planet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Like languages, like landscapes, like the slowly cooling cosmos, perhaps the animals and plants had descended from earlier forms through a process of gradual, continuous change.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
A handful of ramblers roamed the landscaped lakefront promenade, featuring a free walk-in aviary filled with brilliantly colored exotic birds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
When I was 6, we moved into a three-bedroom, pale-green stucco ranch that my dad had built and landscaped in Riverside.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
A house carved into sandstone more than 500 years ago and set within huge landscaped gardens has been put up for auction.
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026
Chase said the industry name for the landscaped places where kids play and families gather is “entertainment zones.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
Tater shouted as he scampered through the landscaped lawn behind the animal shelter.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Andrade said she has started a landscaping project at her friend's house, which involves removing rocks, putting down grass and painting fences.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
In the next 50 seconds or so, Nicolson barreled through precarious gaps in the blurry landscaping, through a tunnel of hay bales and rock walls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
"From engineering to landscaping to operations, we're all working together to reduce damage and make sure we're ready to respond once the storm passes."
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Upon arriving at the property, guests are greeted with lush landscaping and mature trees, which line the home’s facade.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Elegant fountains dotted the property, looped and connected by polished concrete walkways edged with well-manicured landscaping that gave a historic university feel to an otherwise state-of-the-art facility.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
