depiction

American  

[dih-pik-shuhn] / dɪˈpɪk ʃən /

noun

• depictions
  plural

1. representation in image form, as in a painting or illustration.

   Picasso's painting Guernica is an accurate depiction of the horrors of war.

2. representation or characterization in words.

   Mark Twain's letters are a clear depiction of his life and times.

3. an act or instance of depicting.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• depictions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of depiction

First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin dēpictiōn-, stem of dēpictiō “portrayal,” equivalent to dēpict(us), past participle of dēpingere “to portray” + -iō -ion ( def. )

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Explanation

A depiction is a true representation of something, like the depiction of life as a Jewish teenager in hiding during World War II in Anne Frank's "The Diary of a Young Girl." The word depiction comes from the Latin word for "painting or description," depictionem. If a portrait really looks like you, it's a good depiction — the painter or photographer has done a great job. Another way to give a depiction of an experience is to tell or write about it in so much detail that it's like your audience is really there. Actors who portray real people work hard to make their depictions as true as they can.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

depiction depictions

Fans of the subgenre, known and loved for its depiction of journalism’s slow yet effective behind-the-scenes processes, might see this as a fatal flaw.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

Across 58 scenes the British Museum counts 737 animals, 627 figures, 416 plants, 115 swords, 37 ships, 33 buildings, 23 trees, 11 thrones, four sea crossings, two feasts, and the first depiction of Halley’s Comet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

Another place this tension can be seen is in their depiction of female vikings.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

Sam Adams argues that while newspapers in real life are dying, this onscreen depiction thrums with life.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

His depiction of the horrors of being stolen from his village, his captivity on the ship, the Middle Passage, and his life among the enslaved was a true picture.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

These depictions of women's anger are helpful and healthy, Cox says.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Mr. Bond guides readers through ancient depictions of animals, including the gorgeous array of prehistoric cave paintings, with their mixture of dangerous predators and powerful herbivores.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

“Partita” cannot synthesize this theatricality with the more subtle and calibrated depictions of Livia’s psychological state.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

But with the perspective of 25 years, what’s lingered for the most part aren’t the most literal depictions of the day, but oblique dramas that capture something more subtle: the free-floating anxiety of a nightmare.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

I realize that all the statues are depictions of him—if he was taller, stronger, and generally cooler.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

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Related Words

• drawing
• illustration
• image
• likeness
• picture
• portrayal
• representation
• sketch

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