portrayal
AmericanOther Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of portrayal
Explanation
If you like the way an actor played the role of Abraham Lincoln, you might praise his portrayal of the sixteenth president. Use the noun portrayal to describe the representation of someone, either in the form of a dramatic character, a spoken description, or even a photograph or painting of the person. You can also talk about the portrayal of an object or idea: "Dorothea Lange's photographs are an accurate portrayal of the Great Depression." The Old French word portraire, "to draw or trace," is the root of portrayal.
Vocabulary lists containing portrayal
Academy Awards, List 6
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Between Shades of Gray
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The Unmapped Sea
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The latter for featured actress for her portrayal of Willy Loman’s protective wife, Linda, in “Death of a Salesman.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
John Lithgow won Best Actor for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in "Giant", and praised the play as "extraordinarily important right now."
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Walker, meanwhile, says one of the things she loved most about the script, written by Sex Education and Rivals writer Sophie Goodhart, is its portrayal of ageing.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
It appears the nearly 80-year-old president confused the infamous Prohibition agent with Kevin Costner’s portrayal of Ness in the 1987 film “The Untouchables.”
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
Perhaps best remembered was his surprise portrayal of Betsy Ross.
From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
