Meaning & use
landscape
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Meanings
nouncountable
All the natural features of an area of land that can be seen at once, such as hills, fields, rivers and trees.
Grammar: A countable noun for a particular view: a rugged landscape.
Patterns
- a landscape of something
The train crossed a wide landscape of rolling hills.
Snow changed the landscape overnight.
Wind turbines now dot the rural landscape.
nouncountable
A painting, drawing or photograph that shows scenery.
Grammar: Often contrasted with portrait and still life.
Patterns
- a landscape by someone
The museum owns a landscape by Constable.
She paints landscapes in oils.
He hung a small landscape above the fireplace.
nounsingularfigurative
The general state of affairs in a particular field or situation.
Grammar: Followed by a descriptive word: the political landscape, the media landscape.
Patterns
- the political landscape
- the changing landscape of something
The digital landscape has changed rapidly in ten years.
The company faces a challenging economic landscape.
New laws altered the legal landscape for small businesses.
noununcountablecomputing
A page orientation in which the page is wider than it is tall.
Grammar: Often used with mode or orientation, in opposition to portrait.
Patterns
- in landscape
- landscape mode
Print the chart in landscape so the columns fit.
Turn your phone to landscape to watch the video.
The slides are set to landscape orientation.
verbtransitive
To change the appearance of an outdoor area by planting and arranging features.
Grammar: Takes an object: landscape a garden.
Patterns
- landscape something
They hired a designer to landscape the front yard.
The park was landscaped with ponds and winding paths.
We landscaped the slope with native grasses.
Word forms
| plural | landscapes |
|---|---|
| third person singular | landscapes |
| past tense | landscaped |
| past participle | landscaped |
| -ing form | landscaping |
Common combinations
- rural landscape
- The rural landscape was dotted with barns.
- political landscape
- The election transformed the political landscape.
- landscape painting
- A landscape painting hung in the hall.
- changing landscape
- Businesses must adapt to the changing landscape.
- landscape mode
- Switch to landscape mode to see the whole table.
- stunning landscape
- The island has a stunning landscape of cliffs and beaches.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scenery
- Scenery is uncountable and focuses on how pleasant the view looks, while landscape can be neutral or about the land's shape.
- terrain
- Terrain refers to the physical nature of the ground, especially for travel, rather than to how a view looks.
- countryside
- Countryside names the rural area itself instead of a view of it.
- environment
- Environment is broader and includes air, water and living things, not just visible land.
Opposites
Word family
- landscaper noun
- a person who designs or maintains gardens
- landscaping noun
- the work of arranging outdoor spaces
- landscaped adjective
- designed with planted features
- landscapist noun
- an artist who paints landscapes
Commonly confused: landscape or scenery? landscape or portrait?
landscape vs scenery
Scenery is uncountable, so say beautiful scenery, not a scenery; landscape can take an or an.
landscape vs portrait
Portrait is the opposite orientation, taller than wide, and also a picture of a person.
Practice
The spreadsheet looked cramped, so I changed the page to ____ so the columns would fit.
Choose one answer.
Landscape is the page orientation that is wider than it is tall, which gives room for more columns. Portrait is the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “landscape”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.