skyline

When you look at a city from far away, the line made by its buildings against the sky is its skyline. It is often the part of a city that people recognize first, like the tall towers of New York or the mix of hills, bridges, and buildings in San Francisco. People often talk about a skyline when they describe how a city looks in photos, from a rooftop, or across a river.

The word can also describe the outline of mountains, trees, or other large shapes seen against the sky, but it is used most often for cities. A skyline may change over time as new buildings appear, and it can become an important part of a place's identity.

A skyline is the outline or general shape formed where buildings, towers, trees, mountains, or other high objects seem to meet the sky. In everyday English, the word is used most often for the view of a city from a distance, especially when its buildings create a clear and memorable shape. You might think of the skyline of New York, Hong Kong, or Dubai, where tall buildings make the city easy to recognize.

People use this word when talking about what a place looks like from across the water, from a highway, from a hill, or in a photograph. A city skyline may be described as modern, famous, changing, or dramatic. When new buildings are added, people often say the skyline is changing. In this way, the word does not only describe a line of shapes; it also suggests the character of a place.

Although the word can also be used for natural scenes, such as a mountain skyline or a line of trees against the evening sky, that use is less common than the urban one. In most cases, if someone mentions a skyline, they mean the outer shape of a city as seen against the sky. It is a simple word, but it often carries a strong visual feeling, because a skyline can tell you a lot about a place's size, style, and history at a glance.