An Outline Is the Edge, or the Plan
An outline is the line around a shape, and a summary of the main points. Both are the shape of something without the detail filled in.
An outline is the line marking the edge of a shape, and by extension a summary that gives the shape of an argument without the detail. That is the useful link: in both senses you get the boundary and leave the middle empty, which is why *in outline* means roughly and provisionally.
- The line around a shape. *The outline of the hills.*
- A summary of main points. *An outline of the proposal.*
- To describe in general terms. *She outlined the plan.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | outline | A rough outline. |
| Plural | outlines | Broad outlines. |
| Verb | outline | Outline the steps. |
| Past | outlined | As outlined above. |
| Phrase | in outline | Agreed in outline. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He drew the outline in pencil first.Drawing.
- The report outlines three options.Summarising.
- The deal is agreed in outline only.Meaning the details are still open.
Kinds of summary
- Outline — the structure and main points
- Abstract — a short summary at the head of a paper
- Synopsis — a summary of a story or plot
- Precis — a condensed version keeping proportions
- Executive summary — the short version for people who will not read the rest
A compound of *out* and *line*, first recorded in the seventeenth century as a drawing term. The summarising sense followed within a century.
Outline or summary?
An outline shows structure, often as headings. A summary condenses the content into continuous prose.
What does *outline planning permission* mean?
In British planning law, approval in principle for a development, with the details to be approved later.