SKIP TO CONTENT

skyline

/ˌskaɪˈlaɪn/
/ˈskaɪlaɪn/
IPA guide

Other forms: skylines

In a city, the row of buildings you can see right at the horizon is called a skyline. The best views of the Manhattan skyline are from New Jersey and Brooklyn.

When you're near a city but not in the center of it, you can really appreciate its skyline. Officially, you don't need a full-fledged city to have a skyline, just an outline of land or buildings along the horizon. Still, when you think of skylines, you probably think of New York or Los Angeles or Shanghai. The word dates from 1824.

Definitions of skyline
  1. noun
    the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
    see moresee less
    type of:
    line
    a spatial location defined by a real or imaginary unidimensional extent
  2. noun
    the outline of objects seen against the sky
    see moresee less
    type of:
    lineation, outline
    the line that appears to bound an object
Pronunciation
US
/ˌskaɪˈlaɪn/
UK
/ˈskaɪlaɪn/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘skyline'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family