depiction

noun

de·​pic·​tion di-ˈpik-shən How to pronounce depiction (audio)
dē-
plural depictions
: a representation in words or images of someone or something
The book is fascinating in its depiction of the country's early history.
The first part of the book … is a depiction of the nearly lost world of a North American hunter-gatherer community.Timothy Egan
The late Vermont artist Stephen Huneck made works that are instantly recognizable—bright, accessible, folky depictions of dogs enjoying themselves.James Heflin
By comparison with the depiction of domesticity in such 1950s staples as The Donna Reed Show and Ozzie and Harriet, the portrait of family life on The Dick Van Dyke Show, the emblematic sitcom of the early 1960s, seemed staggering in its sheer smartness and casual elegance.Bruce Bawer

Examples of depiction in a Sentence

the set piece of the novel is a depiction of the battle that makes readers feel like they were there
Recent Examples on the Web
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Spoiler alert ahead At the end of the show (spoiler alert), next to depictions of the downfall of a wellness scammer, the audience sees Lucy going for her chemotherapy treatments while also doing yoga, taking ice baths and meditating. Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025 Whishaw listened to it a lot, but aside from those two tapes and essays about him by people who knew him, the depiction of Hujar was largely Whishaw’s own interpretation. Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025 In ancient Egyptian art, for example, Evans says there are depictions of how agriculture workers used nets to combat crop pests. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025 Taken by iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz, the portraits offer a look into what fans can expect from the show’s three-part depiction of the Last Supper. Liza Esquibias, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for depiction

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of depiction was in 1688

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Cite this Entry

“Depiction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depiction. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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