depiction

noun

de·​pic·​tion di-ˈpik-shən 

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

Synonyms

• definition
• delineation
• description
• picture
• portrait
• portraiture
• portrayal
• rendering
• sketch
• vignette

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

The dramatized depiction of an investigation into Chandler’s claims against Jackson open and close the script, Puck states. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 2025

Her vivid depictions of climate change, inequality and resilience remain a testament to her unparalleled ability to look at the present and imagine what lies ahead. —Melissa Noel, Essence, 23 Jan. 2025

This stunning marble depiction of the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare will go on public display in the atrium of the Wrightwood 659 gallery in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood starting on January 25. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Jan. 2025

But that depiction of American-ness, especially in the media, often included a problematic portrayal of her Native American heritage. —Meryl Cates, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above