image

American  

[im-ij] / ˈɪm ɪdʒ /

noun

images plural

1. a physical likeness or representation of a person, animal, or thing, photographed, painted, sculptured, or otherwise made visible.

2. an optical counterpart or appearance of an object, as is produced by reflection from a mirror, refraction by a lens, or the passage of luminous rays through a small aperture and their reception on a surface.

   Synonyms:

   representation, figure, likeness

3. a mental representation; idea; conception.

   Synonyms:

   notion

4. Psychology. a mental representation of something previously perceived, in the absence of the original stimulus.

5. form; appearance; semblance.

   We are all created in God's image.

6. counterpart; copy.

   That child is the image of his mother.

   Synonyms:

   facsimile

   Antonyms:

   original

7. a symbol; emblem.

8. the general or public perception of a company, public figure, etc., especially as achieved by careful calculation aimed at creating widespread goodwill.

9. a type; embodiment.

   Red-faced and angry, he was the image of frustration.

10. a description of something in speech or writing.

    Keats created some of the most beautiful images in the language.

11. Rhetoric. a figure of speech, especially a metaphor or a simile.

12. an idol or representation of a deity.

    They knelt down before graven images.

13. Mathematics. the point or set of points in the range corresponding to a designated point in the domain of a given function.

14. Archaic. an illusion or apparition.

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verb (used with object)

images, present (3rd person singular) imaged, past participle, past imaging present participle

1. to picture or represent in the mind; imagine; conceive.

2. to make an image of; portray in sculpture, painting, etc.

3. to project (photographs, film, etc.) on a surface.

   Familiar scenes were imaged on the screen.

4. to reflect the likeness of; mirror.

5. to set forth in speech or writing; describe.

6. to symbolize; typify.

7. to resemble.

8. Informal. to create an image for (a company, public figure, etc.).

   The candidate had to be imaged before being put on the campaign trail.

9. to transform (data) into an exact replica in a different form, as changing digital data to pixels for display on a screen or representing a medical scan of a body part in digital form.

image British  

/ ˈɪmɪdʒ /

noun

1. a representation or likeness of a person or thing, esp in sculpture

2. an optically formed reproduction of an object, such as one formed by a lens or mirror

3. a person or thing that resembles another closely; double or copy

4. a mental representation or picture; idea produced by the imagination

5. the personality presented to the public by a person, organization, etc See also corporate image

   a criminal charge is not good for a politician's image

6. the pattern of light that is focused on to the retina of the eye

7. psychol the mental experience of something that is not immediately present to the senses, often involving memory See also imagery body image hypnagogic image

8. a personification of a specified quality; epitome

   the image of good breeding

9. a mental picture or association of ideas evoked in a literary work, esp in poetry

10. a figure of speech, such as a simile or metaphor

11. maths

    1. (of a point) the value of a function, f( x ), corresponding to the point x

    2. the range of a function

12. an obsolete word for apparition

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verb

1. to picture in the mind; imagine

2. to make or reflect an image of

3. computing to project or display on a screen or visual display unit

4. to portray or describe

5. to be an example or epitome of; typify

image Idioms  

1. see spitting image.

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Synonym Usage

Image, icon, idol refer to material representations of persons or things. An image is a representation as in a statue or effigy, and is sometimes regarded as an object of worship: to set up an image of Apollo; an image of a saint. An icon, in the Greek or Eastern Orthodox Church, is a representation of Christ, an angel, or a saint, in painting, relief, mosaic, or the like: At least two icons are found in each church. An idol is an image, statue, or the like representing a deity and worshiped as such: a wooden idol; The heathen worship idols. It may be used figuratively: to make an idol of wealth.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• imager
  noun
• preimage
  noun
• reimage
  verb (used with object)
• imageable
  adjective
• imageless
  adjective
• unimaged
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• images
  plural

Participles

• imaging
  present
• imaged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• image
  simple
• images
  simple
• have imaged
  perfect
• has imaged
  perfect
• am imaging
  progressive
• are imaging
  progressive
• is imaging
  progressive
• have been imaging
  perfect progressive
• has been imaging
  perfect progressive

Past

• imaged
  simple
• had imaged
  perfect
• was imaging
  progressive
• were imaging
  progressive
• had been imaging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will image
  simple
• will have imaged
  perfect
• will be imaging
  progressive
• will have been imaging
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of image

First recorded in 1175–1225; (noun) Middle English from Old French image, imagene ( -ene apparently construed as suffix) from Latin imāgin-, stem of imāgō “a copy, likeness,” equivalent to im- ( cf. imitate) + -āgō noun suffix; (verb) Middle English: “to form a mental picture” from Old French imagier, derivative of image

Explanation

An image is a picture or other representation of a person or thing, or it can be someone's public perception, like a rock star who tries to change his image by dressing like a professor and learning to play chess. Image has its roots in the Latin word imitari, meaning "to copy or imitate"; images are judged by how realistically they capture the person or thing they show. Images come in various forms — portraits, photographs, paintings, and sculptures. Another kind of image is what we think a public figure like a celebrity is "really like." For example, a flat-broke former millionaire who wants to maintain his image as the money-spending life of the party.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

image images imaged imaging

He added: "In these cases we digitally rebalance the colour bands of the image, really making the archaeology 'pop' and reveal previously hidden details – these images appear as black and white".

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

In December 2015, the couple’s happily-ever-after image shattered with the publication of Chey’s intention to seek a “clean end” with his wife.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The scientists used NIRSpec's Integral Field Unit, an instrument that records both an image and a spectrum for every pixel.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

“It’s kind of this nonbinary image, where if you’re looking at it and you don’t know who I am, you might wonder: Is that a 12-year-old boy?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Here was the mirror image of the same incompetence Meredith Whitney was making her name pointing out.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Researchers combined multiple images into an animation that traces the comet's movement as it travels toward its closest approach to the Sun.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

McElwee finds images both startling and serene; videos that fill in gaps he couldn’t on his own.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

Satellite images have captured plumes of smoke and damage caused by a wildfire in north Wales.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

The images show several new structures that appear to have been rebuilt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

“You want to know how to get to your abuelita’s house,” Teresita said, picking up an old deck of cards with unusual images on them.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

The newly confirmed Beta Pictoris d raises the system's known planet count to three, making Beta Pictoris only the second planetary system known to contain at least three imaged planets.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

And the fear AI would shrink jobs and replace the functions of whole companies sparked a market rout earlier this week after a research report imaged a dystopian future for the U.S. economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026

"It was everything I imaged it to be plus a little bit more. The crowd were amazing, so receptive. It was mad seeing people with signs with my lyrics on," he said.

From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025

Glioblastoma also shows different subtypes that vary in their metabolism, which can be imaged to predict their response to treatment.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 6, 2024

Suddenly they heard a soft noise from the end of the room which was still and imaged.

From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis

The result shows that astronomers can locate worlds by identifying the molecular fingerprints of their atmospheres instead of depending entirely on traditional coronagraphic imaging.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

Researchers again recorded brain activity with EEG during the trip and repeated the same psychological and imaging assessments over the weeks that followed.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026

An international research team led by Hiroshima University has developed a technique that can reveal extremely early changes in human skin collagen, long before the damage becomes visible under conventional imaging.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

Mr. Tisch describes what makes Atria different: “I have $25 million worth of imaging equipment here in New York.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

In addition, agents use a growing arsenal of technology: helicopters, night-vision goggles, thermal imaging that picks up body heat, and seismic sensors that detect footsteps along immigrant trails.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

Related Words

• appearance
• copy
• drawing
• figure
• form
• icon
• illustration
• likeness
• model
• photograph
• picture
• portrait
• statue