depiction

American  

[dih-pik-shuhn] / dɪˈpɪk ʃən /

noun

depictions plural

1. representation in image form, as in a painting or illustration.

   Picasso's painting Guernica is an accurate depiction of the horrors of war.

2. representation or characterization in words.

   Mark Twain's letters are a clear depiction of his life and times.

3. an act or instance of depicting.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• depictions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of depiction

First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin dēpictiōn-, stem of dēpictiō “portrayal,” equivalent to dēpict(us), past participle of dēpingere “to portray” + -iō -ion ( def. )

Explanation

A depiction is a true representation of something, like the depiction of life as a Jewish teenager in hiding during World War II in Anne Frank's "The Diary of a Young Girl." The word depiction comes from the Latin word for "painting or description," depictionem. If a portrait really looks like you, it's a good depiction — the painter or photographer has done a great job. Another way to give a depiction of an experience is to tell or write about it in so much detail that it's like your audience is really there. Actors who portray real people work hard to make their depictions as true as they can.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

depiction depictions

Prosecutors allege that Matar was motivated by a fatwa that Ayatollah Khomeini, then leader of Iran, issued in 1989 following Rushdie's depiction of a fictionalized Prophet Muhammad in his novel "The Satanic Verses."

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Did you get to see the 2024 film Civil War, with its dystopian depiction of a present day USA in the midst of a violent meltdown?

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

His depiction of sordid behavior—like his rich portrait of Mumbai—adds the required texture to this frothy caper.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

The last GTA installment came out in 2013, so to say fans are eager for VI —which will be set in a fictional depiction of Miami called Vice City—is an understatement.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

The drawing at left, from a sixteenth-century codex, is a winter- count-like depiction of a year dominated by smallpox; two men lie dying or dead, their bodies spotted with pustules.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

They include depictions of Manila as a clown and a snake, among other things.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

A 2012 self-portrait shows a startled, wan Mr. Hockney unhappily staring at the viewer as if we’ve just interrupted a rare moment of peace; it’s a radical departure from his usually cheery depictions of himself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

The meandering routes and Mediterranean scenery of the Hills were a fresh source of amazement, giving rise to monumental depictions of Mulholland Drive and Nichols Canyon in a newly abstract style.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

While searching for comparisons, he found a few similar helmet depictions in 14th-century English artwork, but no exact equivalents.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026

I realize that all the statues are depictions of him—if he was taller, stronger, and generally cooler.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• drawing
• illustration
• image
• likeness
• picture
• portrayal
• representation
• sketch