lineament

noun

lin·​e·​a·​ment ˈli-nē-ə-mənt How to pronounce lineament (audio)
1
a
: an outline, feature, or contour of a body or figure and especially of a face
usually used in plural
b
: a linear topographic feature (as of the earth) that reveals a characteristic (such as a fault or the subsurface structure)
2
: a distinguishing or characteristic feature
usually used in plural
lineamental adjective

Examples of lineament in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Will Arbery’s play about a group of young religious conservatives fearlessly delved into the right-wing battle zone of white identity in a Rogue Machine production directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos that gave hard-right ideology a human face and recognizable psychological lineaments. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2023 Hamilton originally performed the painstaking process for her installation lineament (1993) and recreated it a year later to publish (lineament · book/ball) as an edition. Natasha Gural, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2022 An important interplay under Vatnajökull is between the glacier itself and the rock below - with all the fissures and crustal lineament, the weight of the glacier can potentially cause some seismicity. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 19 Jan. 2011 In geology, lineament refers to a linear feature on the earth's surface, such as a fault, while literary usage refers to a distinctive facial feature or characteristic. Natasha Gural, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2022 Jeff and Russell, whose character is more layered, deserve a few more realistic lineaments. Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2019 The lineaments of a more equitable, sustainable, and cooperative world sketched out by advocates of a Green New Deal have given way, in stunningly short order, to a race to a new global bottom, equal parts Thomas Hobbes and Mad Max. Emily Atkin, The New Republic, 16 Sep. 2019 The lineaments of Mr Kim’s rule appear consistent: purges and repression at the highest level, economic liberalisation at the grassroots and the pursuit of nuclear weapons. The Economist, 26 Apr. 2018 But to those who are much more invested in the world of tomorrow, the Satoshi story has the lineaments of a modern morality tale quite independent of stock realities. Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, 11 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lineament.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin lineamentum, from lineare to draw a line, from linea

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lineament was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near lineament

Cite this Entry

“Lineament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lineament. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lineament

noun
lin·​ea·​ment
ˈlin-ē-ə-mənt
: an outline or contour of a body or figure and especially of the face

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