portrayal
AmericanOther Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of portrayal
Explanation
If you like the way an actor played the role of Abraham Lincoln, you might praise his portrayal of the sixteenth president. Use the noun portrayal to describe the representation of someone, either in the form of a dramatic character, a spoken description, or even a photograph or painting of the person. You can also talk about the portrayal of an object or idea: "Dorothea Lange's photographs are an accurate portrayal of the Great Depression." The Old French word portraire, "to draw or trace," is the root of portrayal.
Vocabulary lists containing portrayal
Academy Awards, List 6
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Between Shades of Gray
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The Unmapped Sea
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Its regional Atlantic panel ruled that the song contravened the human rights clauses of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Code of Ethics and Equitable Portrayal Code.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 31, 2011
It found Blundell's comments to be "gratuitous and unnecessary" and a violation of the Equitable Portrayal Code.
From Reuters • Oct. 25, 2010
Photograph: BBC/Kudos/BBC / Kudos Last week saw the publication of the Corporation's "Portrayal of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People on the BBC", a document only marginally more anticipated than the local phone directory.
From The Guardian • Oct. 5, 2010
Portrayal of a woman city editor in the movie, The Front Page.
From Time Magazine Archive
Portrayal of human relations, especially with children, 24-25.
From A Study of Fairy Tales by Kready, Laura F.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
