Origin: Germanic Old English prefix
Outline has 8 different meanings across 2 categories:
A line marking the boundary of an object figure.
"The artist carefully traced the dark outline of the mountain to separate it from the sky."
In plain English: An outline is a basic plan that shows the main points of something without including all the details.
"The sketch provided only an outline of the character's appearance."
Usage: As a noun, an outline refers to the visible edge or contour that defines the shape of an object against its background. You use this term when describing the general form or silhouette of something without detailing its internal features.
To draw an outline of.
"She used charcoal to quickly sketch a rough outline of her profile on the canvas before adding any details."
In plain English: To outline something means to draw its outer edges so you can see its shape.
"The manager asked us to outline our plan for the new project."
Usage: Use "outline" as a verb to describe the act of drawing the outer edge or shape of something to define its boundaries. It refers specifically to creating a visible line around an object rather than summarizing information or detailing plans.
The word outline is a compound formed from the words out and line. It originally described drawing or marking something by tracing its outer boundary.