silhouette

1 of 2

noun

sil·​hou·​ette ˌsi-lə-ˈwet 

1

: a likeness cut from dark material and mounted on a light ground or one sketched in outline and solidly colored in

2

: the outline of a body viewed as circumscribing a mass

the silhouette of a bird

silhouette

2 of 2

verb

silhouetted; silhouetting

transitive verb

: to represent by a silhouette

also : to project on a background like a silhouette

silhouettist

ˌsi-lə-ˈwe-tist 

noun

Did you know?

Before the age of the photograph, the silhouette, either cut from paper or painted, was the most affordable portrait that could be made. The art enjoyed a golden age in the second half of the 18th and first half of the 19th centuries, when many people collected them. Although silhouettes were well-loved, the man for whom they were named was not: Étienne de Silhouette was France's finance minister under Louis XV and was notorious for both his frugality and his hobby of making cut-paper shadow portraits. The phrase à la Silhouette came to mean "on the cheap," and portraits like the ones he produced were (satirically) bestowed with his name as well.

Synonyms

Noun

• contour
• figure
• outline

Verb

• define
• delineate
• outline
• sketch
• trace

Choose the Right Synonym for silhouette

outline, contour, profile, silhouette mean the line that bounds and gives form to something.

outline applies to a line marking the outer limits or edges of a body or mass.

traced the outline of his hand

contour stresses the quality of an outline or a bounding surface as being smooth, jagged, curving, or sharply angled.

a car with flowing contours

profile suggests a varied and sharply defined outline against a lighter background.

a portrait of her face in profile

silhouette suggests a shape especially of a head or figure with all detail blacked out in shadow leaving only the outline clearly defined.

photograph in silhouette against a bright sky

Examples of silhouette in a Sentence

Noun

the silhouettes of buildings against the sky

The buildings appeared in silhouette against the sky.

My piano teacher has a framed silhouette of Mozart on her wall.

a portrait of my mother done in silhouette

He admired the sports car's sleek silhouette.

Verb

in the photograph the majestic mountain is strikingly silhouetted against the setting sun

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Celebrities like Hunter Schafer, Kendall Jenner, and Gabrielle Union opted for sleek suits or dresses with clean lines—rejecting flashy prints or voluminous silhouettes in favor of subtlety and refinement. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2024

The chair’s trendy barrel silhouette is covered in plush velvet, giving it a mid-century modern flair. —Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024

The pieces in the Spring/Summer capsule reveal a tropical essence with traditionally masculine silhouettes and early ‘00s aesthetics while intersecting styles that transcend beyond gender identities. —Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 27 Mar. 2024

Vionic Rejuvenate Recovery Sandals $80 $60 This bouncy recovery slide shouts summer thanks to its plush cushioned sole and laidback silhouette. —Jennifer Chan, Travel + Leisure, 25 Mar. 2024

Penned by Italy’s Fulvio De Simoni Yacht Design, the all-aluminum exterior combines a high, imposing hull with a streamlined, integrated superstructure to create a sleek, modern silhouette. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2024

The judge recalled firing an M16 at targets of human silhouettes. —Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024

As to why actresses are drawn to the oft-flamboyant silhouettes of these designers, Joe Challita, founder of Lebanese Fashion History and fashion editor at Marie Claire Arabia has an explanation. —Allyson Portee, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024

The figure is joined by silhouettes of people working in the garden. —Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024

Verb

IPhone pictures of clothes and accessories are silhouetted and noted for brand, color, and size metrics; along the way, AI gathers data points, as many as 3000 per item logged in, to help form the user's personal style algorithm. —Roxanne Robinson, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024

Which is good news for those of the moment shoe silhouettes that aren’t boots, like ballerinas, driving loafers, and little pumps. —Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2024

Jenna also shared a photo of herself silhouetted against the sun while posing in the ocean with one of her daughters. —Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 27 Dec. 2023

At sunset, bare branches stood silhouetted against the orange of the western sky. —Martin Weil, Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2023

Sunset silhouettes the downtown skyline of Boston, where Summit Partners is based in the Back Bay section. —Rod James, WSJ, 4 Jan. 2024

The siding was stripped to the cinder block; a floor lamp silhouetted one empty room. —Kamila Hrabchuk, Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2024

Cut out the cat silhouettes on medium-density fiberboard and spray paint them black. —Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2023

Strong yellow sun spilled through the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows; faint spiderwebs extended across them, silhouetted by the light. —Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Étienne de Silhouette †1767 French controller general of finances; perhaps from his ephemeral tenure

First Known Use

Noun

1783, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1876, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

silhouette

1 of 2 noun

sil·​hou·​ette ˌsil-ə-ˈwet 

1

a

: a picture (as a drawing or cutout) of the outline of an object filled in with a solid usually black color

b

: a profile portrait done in silhouette

2

: the outline of an object seen or as if seen against the light

silhouette

2 of 2 verb

silhouetted; silhouetting

: to represent by a silhouette

also : to show against a light background

ducks silhouetted against the evening sky

silhouettist

-ˈwet-ist 

noun