pictorial

1 of 2

adjective

pic·​to·​ri·​al pik-ˈtȯr-ē-əl 

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

pik-ˈtȯr-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

pictorialness noun

pictorial

2 of 2

noun

: a periodical having much pictorial matter

Synonyms

Adjective

• graphic
• graphical
• imaginal
• visual

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

Japanese cultural arts and crafts vendors, a pictorial timeline of Cupertino’s 46-year sister city relationship with Toyokawa, and Shogi instruction and demonstration will be grouped at the Japanese Artisan Pavilion, located at the Cupertino Senior Center. —Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2025

One is to have a device that would allow for pictorial communications, to allow people to connect to others with images and video. —IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2012

Noun

Skims The actor stars in the pictorial, shot by Carin Backoff, with his fiancée, model Abby Champion. —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2025

By contrast, animation foregrounds the pictorial, which is its own aesthetic doctrine. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024

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

Rhymes for pictorial

• arboreal
• armorial
• authorial
• factorial
• manorial
• memorial
• sartorial
• sectorial
• tutorial
• vectorial
• ambassadorial
• combinatorial

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