depict

verb

de·​pict di-ˈpikt How to pronounce depict (audio)
dē-
depicted; depicting; depicts

transitive verb

1
: to represent by or as if by a picture
a mural depicting a famous battle
2
: describe sense 1
the way the novelist depicts his female characters
depicter noun

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Depict and Depiction

If you depict someone or something, you show what that person or thing is like—either in some kind of image (such as a drawing, painting, photograph, or movie), or with words.

What results from your efforts to depict that person or thing can be called a depiction. The noun depiction is included at this entry without a definition because its meaning can be easily understood from the definition of the verb—it's the act of, or an instance of, depicting something or someone—but some examples of depiction in a sentence might be helpful:

The depiction of the battle in the painting is not historically correct.

I think the novel is a good depiction of a typical modern American marriage.

Many were moved by the film's depictions of animals helping people.

The author's depiction of the practice as uncommon is problematic; it's done by millions of people throughout the world every day.

The essay is an honest depiction of life in the city.

The book is fascinating in its depiction of the country's early history.

Examples of depict in a Sentence

The wall was painted with a large mural depicting famous scenes from American history. Several of the architect's most famous buildings will soon be depicted on postage stamps. The photograph depicts the two brothers standing in front of a store. Angels are usually depicted with wings. In the drawing, the magic cap was depicted as a soft, black hat. The movie depicts the life of early settlers. I like the way she depicts the characters in her novels.
Recent Examples on the Web The film, which had its world premiere at SXSW on Thursday, depicts a near-future U.S. at the climax of a civil war where the two most populous states have seceded. Selome Hailu, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 The map vividly depicts where homeless encampments are concentrated throughout the city. Bradford Betz, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2024 The film depicts Winton's visit to Prague in December 1938 and January 1939, shortly before Nazi Germany occupied the area, then known as Czechoslovakia. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 This 8-inch stoneware plate depicts the iconic Easter rabbit sitting among spring blooms in a vintage-looking illustration reminiscent of the classic Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. Wendy Vazquez, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2024 One video said to show two corpses being roasted in Haiti, viewed nearly half a million times on an X account, actually depicts Halloween decorations at a Chinese theme park in 2018, per the fact-checking website Snopes. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 Now, the Angels — especially depicted in their iconic signature pose — are a pop culture touchstone. EW.com, 14 Mar. 2024 What’s so special about a Z-grill To the untrained eye, the blue one-cent Z-grill, which depicts the nation’s first postmaster general Benjamin Franklin, looks like any old stamp. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 One image is a holiday photo depicting Trump embracing several Black people. Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'depict.' 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

Latin depictus, past participle of depingere, from de- + pingere to paint — more at paint

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near depict

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

depict

verb
de·​pict di-ˈpikt How to pronounce depict (audio)
1
: to represent by a picture
2
: to describe in words
depiction noun

More from Merriam-Webster on depict

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