Present participle of outline; creating a general plan or summary showing the main features or structure of something. Drawing the outer edges or contours of an object.
From out- (external) + line, first used in 1660s for drawing contours. The meaning of 'giving a summary' developed in the 18th century, extending the visual metaphor to abstract organization.
Effective outlining mirrors how our brains naturally organize information - research shows that hierarchical structures with main points and sub-points match our cognitive architecture, making outlined information up to 40% easier to remember and understand.
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