pictorial

1 of 2

adjective

pic·​to·​ri·​al pik-ˈtȯr-ē-əl How to pronounce pictorial (audio)
1
: of or relating to a painter, a painting, or the painting or drawing of pictures
pictorial perspective
2
a
: of, relating to, or consisting of pictures
pictorial records
b
: illustrated by pictures
pictorial weekly
c
: consisting of or displaying the characteristics of pictographs
d
: suggesting or conveying visual images
pictorial poetry
pictorially adverb
pictorialness noun

pictorial

2 of 2

noun

: a periodical having much pictorial matter

Examples of pictorial in a Sentence

Adjective a pictorial record of the trip that photojournalist is planning to do a primarily pictorial report on the famine in Africa
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Like Mexican artists Miguel Covarrubias and Alfredo Ramos Martínez, Johnson also created dynamic, abstract pictorial rhythms by composing plant life in geometric, mirror-image shapes, rather than as an organic cornucopia. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Here’s a pictorial display of the local and global celebrations. Jose Carlos Fajardo, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2024 The internet is now teeming with pictorial signs – pixelated images, emoji, and other typographical codes – that signal political dissent. Anna Furman, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan. 2024 And no, in 1906, Picasso hadn’t yet invented (with Georges Braque) the revolutionary pictorial language known as cubism. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2024 The costume worn by Marilyn Monroe as Lillian Russell for a pictorial feature in Life magazine’s December 1958 issue is one of the most eye-catching lots from her collection. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 7 Jan. 2024 Pissarro’s own painting from the eighteen-seventies can sometimes look undernourished, drained of even the most conventional pictorial drama. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023 Yet pictorial complexity was not enough for Schmeisser (1942-2012). Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023 Perhaps the most topical subtext of this book is one of Blackness — both political and pictorial. Adrian Dannatt, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2023
Noun
Irina Shayk is the rare model who started in her 20s and transitioned from swimsuit and lingerie modeling to high-fashion pictorials to, nowadays, street style. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 8 Nov. 2023 In this photo, Jayson Tatum (right) and Celtics fans erupt after his basket at the buzzer defeated Kyrie Irving (left) and the Nets 115-114.Jim Davis/Globe Staff Jonathan Wiggs received an honorable mention in pictorial in the Boston Press Photographers Association’s 2022 annual contests. Kate Armanini, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Mar. 2023 In January 1960 Stevens was Playboy’s Playmate of the Month (she was later featured in Playboy pictorials in 1965 and 1968, and on the magazine’s list of the 100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century, Stevens appeared at No. 27). Carmel Dagan, Variety, 17 Feb. 2023 Royal Oak: From Iconoclast to Icon, written by journalist and acting editor-in-chief of Wallpaper magazine, Bill Prince, and published by Assouline, is the first book on the famous AP model in a decade (the last book, mostly a pictorial, was written by Martin K. Wehrli and Heinz Heimann in 2012). Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2022 And your pictorial really brings it home. James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2022 Scrolling through Sisson's Instagram is now a loving pictorial of Arizona running, from the Valley canals up to Flagstaff and places in between. Jeff Metcalfe, The Arizona Republic, 7 Aug. 2021 His direction emphasizes the pictorial over the physical. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 9 June 2021 Probert was not particularly fond of cats, but this pictorial appealed to him as an advertising logo. Brenda Yenke, cleveland, 9 Jan. 2020

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

Adjective

Late Latin pictorius, from Latin pictor painter — more at picturesque

First Known Use

Adjective

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1844, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pictorial was in 1646

Dictionary Entries Near pictorial

Cite this Entry

“Pictorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pictorial. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pictorial

adjective
pic·​to·​ri·​al
pik-ˈtōr-ē-əl,
-ˈtȯr-
1
: of or relating to painting or drawing
pictorial art
2
: consisting of or illustrated by pictures
pictorial magazines
3
: suggesting or communicating vivid mental images
pictorial poetry
pictorially
-ē-ə-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on pictorial

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