verb
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to represent by or as by drawing, sculpture, painting, etc; delineate; portray
-
to represent in words; describe
Related Words
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
- depicter noun
- depiction noun
- depictive adjective
- depictor noun
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” ( 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.
The renderings of the arch depict gold inscription that say "One Nation Under God", topped with two gold eagles and a golden-winged Lady Liberty.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
But few online seemed troubled that a fabricated image had been used to depict the deaths of real schoolchildren.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
“I think that people are choosing not to depict it,” Goldhaber says of the relationship between modern movies and modern life.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
Yet this strangely compelling work has simultaneously beguiled and baffled art historians for generations, starting with the odd moment that Pontormo chose to depict in his innovative way, isolated from the rest of the narrative.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
It seemed to depict a mound of spaghetti with numbered meatballs.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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.
