portrait

American  

[pawr-trit, -treyt, pohr-] / ˈpɔr trɪt, -treɪt, ˈpoʊr- /

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.

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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.

portrait British  

/ -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

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adjective

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

Other Word Forms

• portraitlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of portrait

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

Explanation

A portrait is a portrayal of a person, usually showing the person's face (but not always). A portrait can be a painting, a photograph, an ink drawing, a sculpture — or even a description in words or in a film. Portrait is a term often used when talking about artwork. Go to an art museum, especially one that has a historic collection, and you'll likely see many portraits hanging on the walls. Formal portraits were commissioned by wealthy people throughout history. A portrait can also be a written description of someone's appearance or character. If you describe your Mom in such detail that everyone can imagine what she's like, you've created a portrait of her.

Example Sentences

In one photo from 1972, Lezley wears a leather necklace Saar made for what looks like a school portrait.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Originally painted with one strap languidly falling from the shoulder, Sargent’s portrait created a stir in late-1800s Paris.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

On Wednesday, Prince William and Princess Catherine also delighted fans by sharing a new family portrait, as they marked 15 years of marriage.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

In 2014, Offill’s novel “Dept. of Speculation” was published and became lauded for its fragmentary style, often unwieldy single sentences that offered a complicated portrait of marriage.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

The boy imagined me sitting in my bed, under the portrait of you, and him trying to tell both of us what he’d done to Toby Crawford.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

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