depicted

American  

[dih-pik-tid] / dɪˈpɪk tɪd /

adjective

1. represented by or as if by painting or other visual image; portrayed.

   The viewer of this striking painting is lured into the possible narrative of the depicted figure by her beauty, strength, and grace.

2. represented or characterized in words.

   Subtle cues in the text indicate the tone or stance the author is taking towards the depicted events.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of depict.

Other Word Forms

• undepicted
  adjective
• well-depicted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of depicted

depict + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

If your brother is depicted as a couch potato in your autobiographical novel, it means that you described him in a certain way, so that he came across as a lazy TV watcher. The adjective depicted means "shown or represented." A person or thing can be depicted in a particular way through a description, a drawing, a photograph, or any other artistic medium. Whenever a vivid picture of something — like life in Victorian England — is presented, that thing is being depicted. The Latin root depictus comes from the prefix de, meaning "down," and pingere, "to paint," and it means "to portray, paint, sketch or imagine."

Example Sentences

Military heroes can be depicted on horseback clutching the accoutrements of war, statesmen shown gesturing dramatically in mid-oration, and saints and clerics rendered awash in revelation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Tyrannosaurs are usually depicted as powerful, relentless predators.

From Science Daily • May 5, 2026

The scene is famously depicted in Jane Austin’s “Pride and Prejudice” from the perspective of Elizabeth Bennet, who entreats their father to step in and prevent Mary from showcasing a second musical number.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Dubowski correctly answered the final 15th question, which was: "Used since 1876, which trademarked logo is described in the James Joyce novel Ulysses and depicted in works by Manet and Picasso?"

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

They were escorted across the entry hall, where a mosaic of colored glass depicted the Doom of Valyria.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• descriptive
• illustrated
• photographic
• visual
• vivid