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graphic

[ graf-ik ]
/ ˈgræf ɪk /
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See synonyms for: graphic / graphics / graphically on Thesaurus.com

adjective Also graph·i·cal.
noun
a product of the graphic arts, as a drawing or print.
a computer-generated image.
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Origin of graphic

First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin graphicus “of painting or drawing,” from Greek graphikós “able to draw or paint,” equivalent to gráph(ein) “to draw, write” + -ikos-ic; cognate with carve

synonym study for graphic

1. See picturesque.

OTHER WORDS FROM graphic

Other definitions for graphic (2 of 2)

-graphic

a combination of -graph and -ic, forming adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -graph: telegraphic.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WORDS THAT USE -GRAPHIC

What does -graphic mean?

The combining form -graphic is used like a suffix meaning “of or relating to something drawn or written,” often to denote a recording of something. It is often used in scientific and technical terms.

The combining form -graphic comes from a combination of two forms. The first is -graph, from Greek -graphos, meaning “drawn or written, one who draws or writes.” The second form is the suffix -ic, which denotes an adjective.

What are variants of -graphic?

While -graphic doesn’t have any variants, it is related to the forms -graphy, as in telegraphy, as well as -graph, as in pictograph. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on -graphy and -graph.

Examples of -graphic

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -graphic is micrographic, “of or relating to the description or delineation of microscopic objects.”

You may recognize the form micro-, meaning “small,” from Greek mīkrós. The form -graphic means “of or relating to something drawn or written.” Micrographic literally translates to “of or relating to a drawing [recording] of something small.”

What are some words that use the combining form -graphic?

What are some other forms that -graphic may be commonly confused with?

Break it down!

The combining form seismo- means “earthquake.” With that in mind, what does seismographic mean?

How to use graphic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for graphic

graphic

graphical

/ (ˈɡræfɪk) /

adjective
vividly or clearly describeda graphic account of the disaster
sexually explicit
of or relating to writing or other inscribed representationsgraphic symbols
maths using, relating to, or determined by a grapha graphic representation of the figures
of or relating to the graphic arts
geology having or denoting a texture formed by intergrowth of the crystals to resemble writinggraphic granite

Derived forms of graphic

graphically or graphicly, adverbgraphicalness or graphicness, noun

Word Origin for graphic

C17: from Latin graphicus, from Greek graphikos, from graphein to write; see carve
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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