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• graphic
  graphic

  adjective

  giving a clear and effective picture; vivid.
• -graphic
  -graphic

  a combination of -graph and -ic, forming adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -graph:

graphic

¹ American  

[graf-ik] / ˈgræf ɪk /

adjective

1. giving a clear and effective picture; vivid.

   a graphic account of an earthquake.

   Synonyms:

   detailed, telling, striking

2. pertaining to the use of diagrams, graphs, mathematical curves, or the like; diagrammatic.

3. of, relating to, or expressed by writing.

   graphic symbols.

4. written, inscribed, or drawn.

5. depicted in a realistic or vivid manner.

   graphic sex and violence.

6. containing graphic descriptions.

   a graphic movie.

7. Geology. (of a rock) having a texture formed by the intergrowth of certain minerals so as to resemble written characters.

8. Mathematics. pertaining to the determination of values, solution of problems, etc., by direct measurement on diagrams instead of by ordinary calculations.

9. of or relating to the graphic arts.

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noun

• graphics
  plural

1. a product of the graphic arts, as a drawing or print.

2. a computer-generated image.

-graphic ² American  

1. a combination of -graph and -ic, forming adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -graph:

   telegraphic.

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graphic British  

/ ˈɡræfɪk /

adjective

1. vividly or clearly described

   a graphic account of the disaster

2. sexually explicit

3. of or relating to writing or other inscribed representations

   graphic symbols

4. maths using, relating to, or determined by a graph

   a graphic representation of the figures

5. of or relating to the graphic arts

6. geology having or denoting a texture formed by intergrowth of the crystals to resemble writing

   graphic granite

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Usage

What does -graphic mean? The combining form -graphic is used like a suffix meaning “of or relating to something drawn or written," often to denote a recording of something. It is often used in scientific and technical terms. The combining form -graphic comes from a combination of two forms. The first is -graph, from Greek -graphos, meaning “drawn or written, one who draws or writes.” The second form is the suffix -ic, which denotes an adjective. What are variants of -graphic?While -graphic doesn't have any variants, it is related to the forms -graphy, as in telegraphy, as well as -graph, as in pictograph. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on -graphy and -graph.

Synonym Usage

See picturesque.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• graphicalness
  noun
• graphicness
  noun
• nongraphicalness
  noun
• nongraphic
  adjective
• nongraphical
  adjective
• ungraphic
  adjective
• ungraphical
  adjective
• graphically
  adverb
• nongraphically
  adverb
• ungraphically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• graphics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of graphic

First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin graphicus “of painting or drawing,” from Greek graphikós “able to draw or paint,” equivalent to gráph(ein) “to draw, write” + -ikos -ic; cognate with carve

Explanation

Something graphic is visual. Graphic design is made of visual elements. A graphic novel tells its story with pictures. And a story that is too graphic is too good at showing you things that are, for example, shocking or violent. Derived from the Greek graphikos, meaning "drawn" or "written," graphic shows up often before words such as design or art. There's debate over whether Norman Rockwell was a painter or just a graphic artist. In certain cases, usually involving loaded issues such as violence or sex, graphic means overly clear in a visual way. Gruesome slasher movies could be too graphic for some viewers, leaving them feeling sick to their stomachs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

graphic graphics

“It’s lowkey a free concert,” says pass holder Juanita Jones, a San Diego resident who was wearing a custom graphic tee with her and Soulja Boy’s faces imprinted on it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

In interviews, Shaboozey has mentioned wanting to turn this record’s story into a graphic novel, or an extended music video, and it’s not hard to imagine a future for him in the film industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

It follows the release of her eighth studio album Petal and the graphic video for its title track on Friday.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

He lovingly omits most graphic footage, but commits to approaching his and Adrian’s shared story from a different viewpoint — a remake.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

Sean and I have a lot in common—we love graphic novels, Stephen King, the Celtics; we both have jet-black hair; neither of us has a dad—but we differ in some ways too.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

This latest version improved on graphics quality, meaning scenes created with it had more photorealism than before.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

What struck me was the legibility of the graphics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

As CoreWeave confirmed demand for graphics processing units is still strong, Lumentum showed how that is driving a need for infrastructure to power and run those chips, he said in emailed comments.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

Their new away kit uses diamond graphics synonymous with Adidas kits from that decade, including the strips worn by the French side themselves between 1994-96.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Paula was sitting next to Ifemelu a short while later when the flash of graphics appeared on the screen: Barack Obama had won the state of Virginia.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie