layout
Americannoun
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an arrangement or plan.
We objected to the layout of the house.
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the act of laying or spreading out.
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a plan or sketch, as of an advertisement or a page of a newspaper or magazine, indicating the arrangement and relationship of the parts, as of type and artwork.
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(in advertising, publishing, etc.) the technique, process, or occupation of making layouts.
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Journalism. spread.
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Informal. a place, as of residence or business, and the features that go with it; a setup.
a fancy layout with a swimming pool and a tennis court.
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Informal. a display or spread, as of dishes at a meal.
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a collection or set of tools, implements, or the like.
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Cards. an arrangement of cards dealt according to a given pattern, as in solitaire.
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Diving, Gymnastics. a body position in which one is fully extended and arched backward, with the legs together and straight, the head thrown back, and the arms extended sideways.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of layout
1840–50, noun use of verb phrase lay out
Explanation
A layout is a plan or design, like the odd layout of your friend's house, where you have to walk through two bedrooms to get to the bathroom. Anything that's planned on paper and then constructed in three dimensions has a layout, including houses, buildings, cities, parks, and gardens. Newspapers, magazines, and websites have layouts too: the way words and images are organized together on the page. The verb came first, from the sense of laying out or arranging the letters of a manuscript before printing them.
Vocabulary lists containing layout
Reading: Informational - Middle School
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Writing - Middle School
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Text Structure
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But the new structure will be a single terminal that’s about 50% larger than the airport’s current two-terminal layout.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Set on a beautifully lush plot, the home blends rustic charm with modern luxury, welcoming guests with exposed brick walls, soaring wood-beamed ceilings, an open-concept layout, and thoughtfully updated finishes throughout.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Some supporters seemed confused by the mega-mall's layout as several approached staff asking for directions to MetLife stadium.
From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026
But the search often misses something fundamental: The real driver of productivity isn’t the layout.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
The name was worn to almost nothing, but she knew the layout of the stars well enough to know whose it was.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
On top of that, certain circuit layouts lend themselves to strategic use of the battery.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
The companies said at the time they had picked the U.K. capital because of its significantly different road layouts and traffic laws compared with U.S. locations, where most testing had been conducted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
There are two nine-hole courses, an 18-hole putting course, four championship layouts, and a golf academy with programs for children and adults.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
You can follow the story or simply luxuriate in the color design, layouts and cinematic storyboarding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
It was true that the layouts were mirror images of each other.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.