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• graphic
  graphic

  adjective

  giving a clear and effective picture; vivid.
• -graphic
  -graphic

  a combination of -graph and -ic, forming adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -graph:

graphic

¹ American  

[graf-ik] / ˈgræf ɪk /

adjective

1. giving a clear and effective picture; vivid.

   a graphic account of an earthquake.

   Synonyms:

   detailed, telling, striking

2. pertaining to the use of diagrams, graphs, mathematical curves, or the like; diagrammatic.

3. of, relating to, or expressed by writing.

   graphic symbols.

4. written, inscribed, or drawn.

5. depicted in a realistic or vivid manner.

   graphic sex and violence.

6. containing graphic descriptions.

   a graphic movie.

7. Geology. (of a rock) having a texture formed by the intergrowth of certain minerals so as to resemble written characters.

8. Mathematics. pertaining to the determination of values, solution of problems, etc., by direct measurement on diagrams instead of by ordinary calculations.

9. of or relating to the graphic arts.

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noun

• graphics
  plural

1. a product of the graphic arts, as a drawing or print.

2. a computer-generated image.

-graphic ² American  

1. a combination of -graph and -ic, forming adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -graph:

   telegraphic.

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graphic British  

/ ˈɡræfɪk /

adjective

1. vividly or clearly described

   a graphic account of the disaster

2. sexually explicit

3. of or relating to writing or other inscribed representations

   graphic symbols

4. maths using, relating to, or determined by a graph

   a graphic representation of the figures

5. of or relating to the graphic arts

6. geology having or denoting a texture formed by intergrowth of the crystals to resemble writing

   graphic granite

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Usage

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.

Synonym Usage

See picturesque.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• graphicalness
  noun
• graphicness
  noun
• nongraphicalness
  noun
• nongraphic
  adjective
• nongraphical
  adjective
• ungraphic
  adjective
• ungraphical
  adjective
• graphically
  adverb
• nongraphically
  adverb
• ungraphically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• graphics
  plural

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Etymology

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

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Explanation

Something graphic is visual. Graphic design is made of visual elements. A graphic novel tells its story with pictures. And a story that is too graphic is too good at showing you things that are, for example, shocking or violent. Derived from the Greek graphikos, meaning "drawn" or "written," graphic shows up often before words such as design or art. There's debate over whether Norman Rockwell was a painter or just a graphic artist. In certain cases, usually involving loaded issues such as violence or sex, graphic means overly clear in a visual way. Gruesome slasher movies could be too graphic for some viewers, leaving them feeling sick to their stomachs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

graphic graphics

That it also impeccably matches Turturro’s salt-and-pepper hair lends Harry an air of elegance, a sartorial grace in an age of graphic tees and chunky sneakers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

The self-employed graphic designer also struggled to find work as the "industry had begun to decline", which "contributed to his sadness", his partner of 32 years said.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

After graduating from the University of the West Indies with a degree in language and literature, James spent his early career working as a graphic designer and copywriter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

The researchers evaluated an experimental graphic that expands the traditional hurricane forecast cone to include tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings for inland areas.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026

They ran a graphic design business in town.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake

The researchers recommend using hurricane forecast graphics alongside local weather predictions and detailed information about possible impacts.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026

Pitching the crowd of creatives on Wednesday, he said the transition from practical effects to computer graphics was equally fraught.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

With Helion, customers will determine how to power agentic AI workloads, either by using only central processing units, or a mix of those chips with graphics processing units, the company said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

Amazon has developed its own custom AI chip, Trainium3, in competition with Nvidia, which continues to dominate the market for graphics processing units, the specialized chips powering the AI boom.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

I remember our laminated nameplates—Liberty G. and Edith G.—printed in cursive fonts, with graphics of yellow pencils and shiny red apples.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

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