outline
noun
out·line
| \ ˈau̇t-ˌlīn
\
\
Definition of outline
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a line that marks the outer limits of an object or figure : boundary
the jagged outline of the mountains
b
: shape
the sharpening outline of her face— Willa Cather
2a
: a style of drawing in which contours are marked without shading
drew a dog in outline
b
: a sketch in outline
prepared several outlines of the suggested mural
3a
: a condensed treatment of a particular subject
an outline of world history
b
: a summary of a written work : synopsis
Students were required to give an outline for each assigned paper.
4
: a preliminary account of a project : plan
gave the class an outline of the points he intended to cover
5
: a fishing line set out overnight
outline
verb
outlined;
outlining;
outlines
Definition of outline (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to draw the outline of
2
: to indicate the principal features or different parts of
outlined their responsibilities
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Synonyms for outline
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
define, delineate, silhouette, sketch, trace
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Examples of outline in a Sentence
Noun
The pictures were drawn in outline and then filled in with color. The leaves etched into the vase have a gold outline. Organize your essay by writing an outline in which you state your main idea followed by your supporting points. a brief outline of American history Her speech was written in outline on note cards.Verb
The President outlined his agenda for the next term. The book outlines the major events of the country's history. All players must follow the rules outlined above.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
But the federal complaint against her outlines relatively simple ways Capital One and the FBI were able to establish her identity, including the name on her GitHub page. — Los Angeles Times, "Tipster’s email led to arrest in massive Capital One breach," 30 July 2019 The others were murky due to difficulty in obtaining information about the killings ‘‘although their broad outlines were consistent with patterns of previous extrajudicial executions,’’ the group said. — Jim Gomez, BostonGlobe.com, "Amnesty seeks international probe to end Philippine killings," 8 July 2019 The Biden plan is in its broad outlines more like that of former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who also set a 2050 goal and called for $1.5 trillion in federal spending over 10 years for his climate change plan. — Evan Halper, latimes.com, "Biden proposes $1.7-trillion plan to combat climate change," 4 June 2019 But plenty of people have already bashed the deal based on its broad outlines. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "Theresa May gets cabinet approval for her draft Brexit deal," 14 Nov. 2018 Your outline of course put it perfectly, this is about a political dynamic. — Fox News, "Tucker: Brett Kavanaugh and the hypocrisy of the Democratic Party," 18 Sep. 2018 Rough outlines of Africa (center), Asia (upper right), and the Americas (left) are clearly visible. — Daniel Clery, Science | AAAS, "Here’s what Earth might look like to aliens," 16 Aug. 2019 The outline of the ship was once recognizable, the jagged wooden stern standing high above the water. — John Kelly, Washington Post, "Jagged remains of more than 100 ghostly ships rest forever in Mallows Bay," 7 Aug. 2019 The unfinished document outlines the need for a new administration building, a second taxiway, more hangars and other facilities. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Oceanside gets grant to resurface runway, taxiway at city airport," 22 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Elliott outlined a four-part plan for the company in a letter to its board Monday. — Scott Deveau, Fortune, "‘There Will Be a Fight’: AT&T Stock Soars As Activist Investor Looks to Shake Things Up," 9 Sep. 2019 Beginning last December, the MIAA outlined a plan to familiarize coaches and officials with the new rules, offering educational meetings with presentations from out-of-state referees. — Nate Weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, "This year, high school football is a new ballgame," 4 Sep. 2019 Kamala Harris Harris has outlined a $10 trillion plan to address climate change with the aim of having net-zero emissions by 2045 and 100% carbon-neutral electricity by 2030. — Grace Segers, CBS News, "Where the 2020 candidates stand on climate change," 4 Sep. 2019 Sanders, who outlined his climate change plan during a visit to Chico last week, told party activists in San Francisco that the election wasn’t just about unseating Trump. — Joe Garofoli, SFChronicle.com, "Democrats sounding less aspirational, more confrontational," 24 Aug. 2019 At the scene, police allegedly found two suicide notes by Nguyen outlining her plan to kill her children before taking her own life, ABC reports. — Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE.com, "Calif. Mom Allegedly Kills 2 Daughters – Ages 14 and 4 Months — Before Dad Finds Her Unresponsive," 23 Aug. 2019 Private System PG&E has outlined its plan to exit the biggest utility bankruptcy in U.S. history, promising to largely protect the value of its shares. — Bloomberg News, The Mercury News, "PG&E craters on risk of up to $18 billion in California wildfire lawsuits," 19 Aug. 2019 There are easy comparisons between ViacomCBS’s outlined plan and Disney’s. — Julia Alexander, The Verge, "Star Trek is ViacomCBS’s best hope for streaming greatness," 14 Aug. 2019 Charles Murray outlined his own plan in his 2006 book In Our Hands. — Matthew Continetti, National Review, "A UBI Would Undermine Work," 25 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'outline.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for outline
outline
noun
English Language Learners Definition of outline
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a drawing or picture that shows only the shape of an object
: a style of drawing in which only the outer edges of an object are shown
: a line that is drawn around the edges of something
outline
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of outline (Entry 2 of 2)
: to draw a line around the edges of (something)
: to list or describe only the most important parts of (an essay, speech, plan, etc.) : to give an outline of (something)
See the full definition for outline in the English Language Learners Dictionary