depict
American
verb
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to represent by or as by drawing, sculpture, painting, etc; delineate; portray
-
to represent in words; describe
Synonym Usage
Depict, portray, sketch imply a representation of an object or scene by colors or lines, or by words. Depict emphasizes vividness of detail: to depict the confusion of departure. Portray emphasizes faithful representation: We could not portray the anguish of the exiles. Sketch suggests the drawing of the outlines of the most prominent features or details, often in a preparatory way: to sketch the plans for a community development.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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depictsimple
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depictssimple
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have depictedperfect
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has depictedperfect
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am depictingprogressive
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are depictingprogressive
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is depictingprogressive
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have been depictingperfect progressive
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has been depictingperfect progressive
Past
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depictedsimple
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had depictedperfect
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was depictingprogressive
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were depictingprogressive
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had been depictingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of depict
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin dēpictus (past participle of dēpingere ), equivalent to dē- de- + pic- past participle stem of pingere “to paint” ( see paint) + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
When you depict something, you draw a picture of it, describe it, or show what it looks like. So grab a crayon, a paint brush, or even an Etch-A-Sketch and start depicting. From the Latin depictus, meaning “to portray, paint, sketch, describe,” depict is a way to communicate what you see. To explain to an alien what a banana is, you can either depict it with drawings, describe it in words, or both. But be careful. Writes author Joyce Maynard, "The painter who feels obligated to depict his subjects as uniformly beautiful or handsome and without flaws will fall short of making art."
Vocabulary lists containing depict
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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ACT Vocabulary List
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STAAR English I: The Language of the Test 1
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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.
See Examples For:
While these facets might depict our tech-obsessed age, Mungiu writes them in a way that makes the Norwegians look silly, and the Gheorghius look like objectively good parents.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
But it’s also one that, as Ocasio-Cortez’s behind-the-scenes videos depict, is expensive, uncomfortable, and painful to pursue.
From Slate ● Aug. 29, 2026
Longer-range models depict widely differing possibilities for the last week of August and the first week of September, so confidence in the outlook is low.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
On Instagram, some videos depict people getting approached in malls and grocery stores and on college campuses and sidewalks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
The artist arranged it so that the papers, when assembled, depict the fearless leader’s proud, defiant face.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
In addition to Hello Kitty, the card depicts several other recognizable characters produced by the Japanese company Sanrio: My Melody, Kuromi, Pompompurin, Keroppi, Cinnamoroll, Chococat and Pochacco.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The artwork depicts in 58 scenes events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
The 11th-century work, which depicts the Norman conquest of England by William the Conqueror, arrived in London in July for a sell-out showcase that runs until July 2027.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Warner Bros.’ probable apprehension over how the film depicts corporations like its own is only one layer of this big, genetically modified cartoon onion.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
A stained-glass ceiling looms above us and depicts a dozen different Black people.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Hershey has faced similar litigation over other seasonal Reese’s candies, including ghost-shaped chocolates without depicted facial features and football-shaped candies that lacked the laces shown on their packaging.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
A fresh-faced new prime minister, Tony Blair, was said to have been a modernising influence on sending such a direct message - an intervention later depicted in the movie, The Queen, starring Helen Mirren.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
In some states, marketing materials for annuities show double-digit “historical” returns on bespoke indexes that didn’t exist at the time of the returns depicted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Posted Wednesday to the official X account for DHS, the image created by artificial intelligence depicted the “Transformers” character opposite a bearded man wearing a bandanna over his hair.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Two weeks after the party, Stanton published The Woman’s Bible, a controversial book that challenged the way women were depicted in the Bible.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
His “Stickballers,” depicting children playing stickball, shares a throughline with other artists depicting scenes of everyday life in the collection, including Ernie Barnes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
One of the stolen artworks is a vertical oil painting on canvas dating back to around 1910 depicting French actress Gabrielle Colonna-Romano.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
The other side of the coin features a version of the US presidential seal, depicting an eagle clutching arrows and an olive branch while covered by a shield that says "250."
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Sydney Marathon confirmed runners would receive the medal depicting the incorrect city's stadium, noting: "It's a beautiful medal, and now a little more unique."
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Images flashed depicting each of the next experiments he listed.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
