Basic Details
Word: Outline
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A line showing the outer shape of something. It can also mean a short plan that gives only the main points.
Synonyms: sketch, summary, draft
How to Spell Outline
Syllables: out - line
Tricky part: Out and line join with no space or hyphen, and the silent e at the end must stay; outlin is a common slip.
Watch out for: outlin, owtline, outlyne
Memory tip: Draw a line around the outside of a shape and you have its outline: out + line.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Draw the outline of India and mark the major rivers.
Example 2: The teacher gave us an outline of the story before we read it.
Example 3: The tailor chalked an outline of the collar on the cloth.
Fun Fact
The Nazca lines in Peru are giant outlines of animals, such as a hummingbird and a monkey, scratched into the desert and best seen from the air.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word outline as used in the sentence:
Before writing the essay, Arjun jotted down a rough outline of his three main points.
a) title
b) plan
c) error
d) ending
Show answer
b) plan. A rough outline of main points is a short plan for the essay.
Word Makeup
Only one of these compound words is spelt correctly. Choose it:
a) outline
b) framwork
c) bluprint
d) guidbook
Show answer
a) outline. Blueprint keeps the e of blue, framework the e of frame and guidebook the e of guide; outline keeps its e too.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The luneoti of the old fort stood out sharply against the red evening sky.
a) outline
b) outlast
c) outlive
d) outside
Show answer
a) outline. The jumble has an n and an e but no v, s or a, so it can only be outline.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An outline of a speech gives ____.
a) only the main points
b) every single word
c) the audience's names
d) the speaker's age
Show answer
a) only the main points
2. In 'She outlined her plan to the class', outlined means ____.
a) hid carefully
b) wrote in full
c) explained briefly
d) rejected firmly
Show answer
c) explained briefly
