silhouette
Americannoun
-
a two-dimensional representation of the outline of an object, as a cutout or configurational drawing, uniformly filled in with black, especially a black-paper, miniature cutout of the outlines of a person's face in profile.
-
the outline or general shape of something.
the slim silhouette of a skyscraper.
-
a dark image outlined against a lighter background.
verb (used with object)
-
to show in or as if in a silhouette.
-
Printing. to remove the background details from (a halftone cut) so as to produce an outline effect.
noun
-
the outline of a solid figure as cast by its shadow
-
an outline drawing filled in with black, often a profile portrait cut out of black paper and mounted on a light ground
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
silhouettesimple
-
silhouettessimple
-
have silhouettedperfect
-
has silhouettedperfect
-
am silhouettingprogressive
-
are silhouettingprogressive
-
is silhouettingprogressive
-
have been silhouettingperfect progressive
-
has been silhouettingperfect progressive
Past
-
silhouettedsimple
-
had silhouettedperfect
-
was silhouettingprogressive
-
were silhouettingprogressive
-
had been silhouettingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of silhouette
First recorded in 1790–1800; from French à la silhouette, after Etienne de Silhouette (1709–67), French finance minister; the surname Silhouette is ultimately from Basque Zilhoeta, from zilo, zilho, zulo “hole” + -eta, toponymic suffix
Explanation
A silhouette is dark shadow, like a silhouette of a person standing under a street lamp, or a drawing that shows only the shape of an object. A silhouette, pronounced "sil-ooh-ET," can be mysterious. After all, you can only see the shape of the person or object. So, it's fitting that the word's origin is a little mysterious, too. It was coined for Etienne de Silhouette, a French finance minister. One theory is that Silhouette decorated his chateau with the kind of dark outline drawings that now bear his name.
Vocabulary lists containing silhouette
Long Way Down
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!
You Name It: Eponyms
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!
"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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:
Then, if I dive deeper into Japanese culture, I think about the most iconic silhouette, which for me is a kimono.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
His first tattoo was on Vizirenko’s upper chest: a silhouette of his family on vacation, holding hands and standing under a palm tree and a sun.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Where the former implemented carefully considered, brief glimpses of its female lead to shade her character’s textures, “Obsession” stops caring about Nikki the moment her silhouette is completed.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026
The drag queen’s stickers include the same mountain silhouette used by Patagonia.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
A key worked into a lock and a huge silhouette came through the door followed by Deputy Palmer.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Nike’s previous leadership had leaned too heavily on popular lifestyle sneakers, such as Dunks, a strategy that backfired when those basketball silhouettes lost heat in favor of the running-shoe aesthetic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Likewise, Paris Fashion Week isn’t known to feature designers whose collections can be worn off the rack, instead showcasing works of great sartorial ambition, with severe silhouettes and playful flourishes alike.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
Those gains, she said, were seen across its bra silhouettes and price points.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
The nostalgic tone of the collection was captured by some attendees who praised the juxtaposition of pieces, resulting in fluid, less cinched silhouettes reminiscent of 1940s Hollywood.
From Barron's ● May 14, 2026
The dark, towering silhouettes of the Wallowa Mountains surrounded us on all sides.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
The photos transform the city’s atmosphere into fields of luminous color — the Hollywood Roosevelt’s sign silhouetted against saturated red and yellow skies, or the moon suspended in darkness.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
In our video call with Mr Explosive, he appears silhouetted and flanked by red and green light, the colours of the Iranian flag.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
Bold purple and magenta animations of galloping warriors silhouetted against rustling pines cover entire walls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 7, 2026
There are competent if conventional scenes of fog-laden meadows and villages silhouetted against distant skies.
From New York Times ● Nov. 21, 2024
Whoever it was stood silhouetted against the sunlight, and for a moment I couldn’t make out the face.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
“The glare and the sunlight was kind of silhouetting him, so I didn’t see his face,” the witness, Capt. Neda K. Othman of the U.S.
From New York Times ● Oct. 28, 2022
We pulled into Sacramento and our first glorious California sunset, a sheet of horizontal oranges and reds silhouetting black water towers and high-tension wires.
From New York Times ● Sep. 6, 2016
The photo captured Watkins’s image by silhouetting his head against an illuminated tree.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 12, 2015
You see it's enough to bring tears to the eyesby silhouetting trees,winter boughs spidery on mist-like white skiestwitched in a breeze.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 18, 2013
Tally gazed down at the familiar skyline, the slender trails of fireworks silhouetting the party towers and mansions.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
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.
