definitions

depict

[ dih-pikt ]
/ dɪˈpɪkt /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR depict ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to represent by or as if by painting; portray; delineate.
to represent or characterize in words; describe.

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RELATED WORDS

detailed, vivid, eloquent, illuminating, pictorial, expressive, definitive, revealing, rep, classic, model, classical, ideal, archetypal, evocative, exemplary, illustrative, quintessential, symbolic, emblematic

Nearby words

depew, depew, chauncey mitchell, dephlogisticate, dephosphorylate, dephosphorylation, depict, depiction, depicture, depigmentation, depilate, depilation

Origin of depict

1625–35; < Latin dēpictus (past participle of dēpingere), equivalent to dē- de- + pic- past participle stem of pingere to paint + -tus past participle suffix
Related forms

Synonym study

1, 2. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for depictive

depict

/ (dɪˈpɪkt) /

verb (tr)

to represent by or as by drawing, sculpture, painting, etc; delineate; portray
to represent in words; describe
Derived Formsdepicter or depictor, noundepiction, noundepictive, adjective

Word Origin for depict

C17: from Latin dēpingere, from pingere to paint
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for depictive

depict

v.

early 15c., from Latin depictus, past participle of depingere "to portray, paint, sketch; describe, imagine," from de- "down" (see de-) + pingere "to paint" (see paint (v.)). Related: Depicted; depicting.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper