outline, contour, profile, silhouette mean the line that bounds and gives form to something. outline applies to a line marking the outer limits or edges of a body or mass.

If you read the minutes of the meeting, they'll give you a broad outline of what was discussed. Some novelists start by writing an outline (= plan of the main points of the story).

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 …

The outline of something is its general shape, especially when it cannot be clearly seen.

OUTLINE definition: the line by which a figure or object is defined or bounded; contour. See examples of outline used in a sentence.

These nouns refer to a line that defines the boundary and shape of an object, mass, or figure: the outline of the mountains against the sunset; saw the island's contour from the airplane; a …

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.

Outline definition: A line indicating the outer contours or boundaries of an object or figure.

OUTLINE meaning: 1 : a drawing or picture that shows only the shape of an object often + of; 2 : a style of drawing in which only the outer edges of an object are shown

Definition of outline noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.