Outline
noun
A general description or plan showing the main characteristics of something.
He drew up an outline of his speech for the presentation.
Often appears as...
- provide an outline
- a detailed outline
verb
To describe something briefly or give the main points or summary of it.
Could you outline your ideas for the project?
Often appears as...
- outline the plan
- outline the strategy
noun
A line that represents the outer edge of something or someone.
The detective outlined the victim's body with chalk.
Often appears as...
- body outline
- outline of the figure
verb
To draw, trace, or define the outer edge or shape of something.
I outlined the map of the United States with a marker.
Often appears as...
- outline a shape
- outline a figure
noun
A general description or plan showing the main characteristics of something.
He drew up an outline of his speech for the presentation.
Often appears as...
- provide an outline
- a detailed outline
verb
To describe something briefly or give the main points or summary of it.
Could you outline your ideas for the project?
Often appears as...
- outline the plan
- outline the strategy
noun
A line that represents the outer edge of something or someone.
The detective outlined the victim's body with chalk.
Often appears as...
- body outline
- outline of the figure
verb
To draw, trace, or define the outer edge or shape of something.
I outlined the map of the United States with a marker.
Often appears as...
- outline a shape
- outline a figure
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/2Planning Tool
Use 'outline' to structure thoughts or plans before detailing.
Her essay outline helped organize her research efficiently.
Pro Tip 2/2Brevity Key
'Outline' implies a short, to-the-point description without unnecessary details.
The meeting agenda included a brief outline of each topic.
Pro Tip 1/2Planning Tool
Use 'outline' to structure thoughts or plans before detailing.
Her essay outline helped organize her research efficiently.
Pro Tip 2/2Brevity Key
'Outline' implies a short, to-the-point description without unnecessary details.
The meeting agenda included a brief outline of each topic.
Pro Tip 1/2Planning Tool
Use 'outline' to structure thoughts or plans before detailing.
Her essay outline helped organize her research efficiently.
Pro Tip 2/2Brevity Key
'Outline' implies a short, to-the-point description without unnecessary details.
The meeting agenda included a brief outline of each topic.
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Video examples
A kinder, gentler...
than in any other part of the world. And some of the reason for that is that people take what happens to them extremely personally -- they own their success, but they also own their failure. Is there any relief from some of these pressures that I've been outlining? I think there is. I just want to turn to a few of them. Let's take meritocracy.
Video examples
Inside OKCupid: The math...
it goes through the steps we just outlined. First it collects data about your answers, then it compares your choices and preferences to other people's in simple, mathematical ways. This, the ability to take real-world phenomena and make them something a microchip can understand, is, I think, the most important skill anyone can have these days.
Video examples
A message of peace, hope...
so therefore I stand then I started singing some of these songs again and the reason for that was because they have this kind of innocent very simple kind of like childlike thick outline and colorization primary color it all the songs have that kind of feeling and
Video examples
The happy secret to...
Which I'm glad you liked, but they did not like that at all. Silence on the phone. And into the silence, I said, "I'd be happy to speak at your school, but that's not a wellness week, that's a sickness week. You've outlined all the negative things that can happen,
Video examples
The call to learn PIPE...
that it doesn't need much talking about -- but I guess I may be very wrong about that, and everything else that I've said. So don't go back and read my dissertation. It probably has lies in it as well. Having said that, I outlined my talk about five minutes ago.
Video examples
The nightmare videos of...
and I make work about technology. I do things like draw life-size outlines of military drones in city streets around the world, so that people can start to think and get their heads around these really quite hard-to-see and hard-to-think-about technologies.
Video examples
Why Shakespeare loved...
Iambic pentameter is when he takes ten steps. Our pirate friend can even help us remember how to properly mark it if we image the footprints he leaves walking along a deserted island A curve for unstressed syllables, and a shoe outline for stressed ones.
Video examples
Stonehenge Theories with...
out there by all due respect National Geographic you know big settlements thousands of houses and all that they say oh look we found the outline of a house the steps go down this is where they had their
Video examples
Nora Flanagan: What...
will hear echoes of their experiences and outlines of what's possible. We can, and we must, engage parents, demand equity, support the whole student and rethink assessment.
Video examples
What's Hiding in the...
but for the most sensational spectacle you have to turn the lights of the submarine off a jellyfish outlined by its own pulsing
Video examples
A kinder, gentler...
than in any other part of the world. And some of the reason for that is that people take what happens to them extremely personally -- they own their success, but they also own their failure. Is there any relief from some of these pressures that I've been outlining? I think there is. I just want to turn to a few of them. Let's take meritocracy.
Video examples
Inside OKCupid: The math...
it goes through the steps we just outlined. First it collects data about your answers, then it compares your choices and preferences to other people's in simple, mathematical ways. This, the ability to take real-world phenomena and make them something a microchip can understand, is, I think, the most important skill anyone can have these days.
Video examples
A message of peace, hope...
so therefore I stand then I started singing some of these songs again and the reason for that was because they have this kind of innocent very simple kind of like childlike thick outline and colorization primary color it all the songs have that kind of feeling and
Video examples
The happy secret to...
Which I'm glad you liked, but they did not like that at all. Silence on the phone. And into the silence, I said, "I'd be happy to speak at your school, but that's not a wellness week, that's a sickness week. You've outlined all the negative things that can happen,
Video examples
The call to learn PIPE...
that it doesn't need much talking about -- but I guess I may be very wrong about that, and everything else that I've said. So don't go back and read my dissertation. It probably has lies in it as well. Having said that, I outlined my talk about five minutes ago.
Video examples
The nightmare videos of...
and I make work about technology. I do things like draw life-size outlines of military drones in city streets around the world, so that people can start to think and get their heads around these really quite hard-to-see and hard-to-think-about technologies.
Video examples
Why Shakespeare loved...
Iambic pentameter is when he takes ten steps. Our pirate friend can even help us remember how to properly mark it if we image the footprints he leaves walking along a deserted island A curve for unstressed syllables, and a shoe outline for stressed ones.
Video examples
Stonehenge Theories with...
out there by all due respect National Geographic you know big settlements thousands of houses and all that they say oh look we found the outline of a house the steps go down this is where they had their
Video examples
Nora Flanagan: What...
will hear echoes of their experiences and outlines of what's possible. We can, and we must, engage parents, demand equity, support the whole student and rethink assessment.
Video examples
What's Hiding in the...
but for the most sensational spectacle you have to turn the lights of the submarine off a jellyfish outlined by its own pulsing
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Eric Walters
Canadian Author
I always have a rough outline, but I'm shocked at how little I actually follow it. Those characters keep doing things that I never expected. I think if I crept up to my keyboard and peeked, they'd be talking about things behind my back. Okay, that's a little paranoid and delusional... but just a little.
Quote examples
Jesmyn Ward
American Novelist
I've found that in fiction - and this is just the kind of writer I am - I can't really work from an outline. I have a vague idea of the characters at the beginning of the book, and then I have a vague idea of whatever the end of the book will be, but I can't approach creative nonfiction like that.
Quote examples
Julie Kagawa
American Author
I usually start with an ending, then outline high points of things that happen, and kind of make up the rest as I go along. Occasionally, the characters surprise me, and I wonder how we got here. Other times, the characters are stubborn and won't do something I want them to in the story.
Quote examples
Karen Robards
American Author
I start writing with only the vaguest idea about who my characters are and what is going to happen, and the characters and plot come into existence as I go. I've tried doing it the other way, but for me, outlining is a waste of time because I never follow the outline.
Quote examples
Per Petterson
Norwegian Novelist
The important discovery I made very early is that my novels had to be written without any given plan or outline. I can't do it in any other way. But then they are dependent on the sentences, my intuition, and, as I have experienced many times, the subconscious.
Quote examples
Joe Swanberg
American Actor
In the pre-production process, I am emailing with the actors or jumping on the phone, and we're sort of figuring out who the characters are and trying to build the relationship dynamic and things like that. Then, also, I am outlining.
Quote examples
Jerry B. Jenkins
American Novelist
SOON was the first novel where I used a rough outline. Usually I have characters and an idea and write as a process of discovery. Like working without a net.
Quote examples
Harlan Coben
American Author
Outlining is not writing. Coming up with ideas is not writing. Researching is not writing. Creating characters is not writing. Only writing is writing.
Quote examples
Vince Lombardi
American Coach
Coaches who can outline plays on a black board are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player and motivate.
Quote examples
Hallie Ephron
American Novelist
Outlining is like putting on training wheels. It gives me the courage to write, but we always go off the outline.
Quote examples
Eric Walters
Canadian Author
I always have a rough outline, but I'm shocked at how little I actually follow it. Those characters keep doing things that I never expected. I think if I crept up to my keyboard and peeked, they'd be talking about things behind my back. Okay, that's a little paranoid and delusional... but just a little.
Quote examples
Jesmyn Ward
American Novelist
I've found that in fiction - and this is just the kind of writer I am - I can't really work from an outline. I have a vague idea of the characters at the beginning of the book, and then I have a vague idea of whatever the end of the book will be, but I can't approach creative nonfiction like that.
Quote examples
Julie Kagawa
American Author
I usually start with an ending, then outline high points of things that happen, and kind of make up the rest as I go along. Occasionally, the characters surprise me, and I wonder how we got here. Other times, the characters are stubborn and won't do something I want them to in the story.
Quote examples
Karen Robards
American Author
I start writing with only the vaguest idea about who my characters are and what is going to happen, and the characters and plot come into existence as I go. I've tried doing it the other way, but for me, outlining is a waste of time because I never follow the outline.
Quote examples
Per Petterson
Norwegian Novelist
The important discovery I made very early is that my novels had to be written without any given plan or outline. I can't do it in any other way. But then they are dependent on the sentences, my intuition, and, as I have experienced many times, the subconscious.
Quote examples
Joe Swanberg
American Actor
In the pre-production process, I am emailing with the actors or jumping on the phone, and we're sort of figuring out who the characters are and trying to build the relationship dynamic and things like that. Then, also, I am outlining.
Quote examples
Jerry B. Jenkins
American Novelist
SOON was the first novel where I used a rough outline. Usually I have characters and an idea and write as a process of discovery. Like working without a net.
Quote examples
Harlan Coben
American Author
Outlining is not writing. Coming up with ideas is not writing. Researching is not writing. Creating characters is not writing. Only writing is writing.
Quote examples
Vince Lombardi
American Coach
Coaches who can outline plays on a black board are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player and motivate.
Quote examples
Hallie Ephron
American Novelist
Outlining is like putting on training wheels. It gives me the courage to write, but we always go off the outline.
Example 1 of 10
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