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

• description
• portrait
• portrayal
• picture

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

That’s one of several standout stretches here, another being the note-perfect depiction of our heroes feeling the indiscriminate love while on ecstacy. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 June 2025

Then, crammed in between Nixon and a portrait of another former first lady, Laura Bush, a new portrait was added: a depiction of Trump's face overlaid with the American flag. —Meredith Kile, People.com, 20 June 2025

Goat, from around two years earlier, is a more realistic depiction of a white goat in profile. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 June 2025

Be aware there are explicit depictions of body modifications. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 18 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for depiction

• addiction
• affliction
• constriction
• conviction
• eviction
• infliction
• nonfiction
• prediction
• restriction
• antifriction
• benediction
• contradiction