portrait

[ pawr-trit, -treyt, pohr- ]

noun

1. a likeness of a person, especially of the face, as a painting, drawing, or photograph:

   a gallery of family portraits.

2. a verbal picture or description, usually of a person:

   a biography that provides a fascinating portrait of an 18th-century rogue.

adjective

1. Digital Technology. relating to or producing vertical, upright orientation of computer or other digital output, with lines of data parallel to the two shorter sides of a page or screen. Compare landscape. Compare landscape ( def 8 ).

portrait

/ -treɪt; ˈpɔːtrɪt /

noun

1. 1. a painting, drawing, sculpture, photograph, or other likeness of an individual, esp of the face
   2. ( as modifier )

      a portrait gallery

2. a verbal description or picture, esp of a person's character

adjective

1. printing (of a publication or an illustration in a publication) of greater height than width Compare landscape

Other Words From

• portrait·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of portrait¹

1560–70; < Middle French: a drawing, image, etc., noun use of past participle of portraire to portray

Example Sentences

Running for seven minutes, it's a touching and intimate portrait of the beloved actor, whose other credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bye Bye Birdie and the TV show Diagnosis: Murder.

From BBC

But their portrait doesn’t live up to the bravado or promise of Mary’s declaration.

From New York Times

It all started with a portrait of the poet Arthur Rimbaud, drawn in 1872 by his fellow writer and companion Paul Verlaine.

From New York Times

It’s signaled early: When the documentary crew is preparing the room for Fife, they awkwardly move a decorated Christmas tree out of the shot, revealing a portrait of some clergyman on the wall.

From New York Times

Now, Cornell University researchers have created the most comprehensive portrait to date of how that change, in mice, unfolds over time.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• account
• characterization
• depiction
• figure
• image
• likeness
• model
• painting
• photograph
• picture
• portrayal
• profile
• silhouette
• sketch
• snapshot
• vignette