imagery

American  

[im-ij-ree, im-i-juh-ree] / ˈɪm ɪdʒ ri, ˈɪm ɪ dʒə ri /

noun

imageries plural

1. the formation of mental images, figures, or likenesses of things, or of such images collectively.

   the dim imagery of a dream.

2. pictorial images, as in works of art.

3. the use of rhetorical images.

4. figurative description or illustration; rhetorical images collectively.

5. Psychology. mental images collectively, especially those produced by the action of imagination.

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imagery British  

/ ˈɪmɪdʒrɪ, -dʒərɪ /

noun

1. figurative or descriptive language in a literary work

2. images collectively

3. psychol

   1. the materials or general processes of the imagination

   2. the characteristic kind of mental images formed by a particular individual See also image imagination

4. military the presentation of objects reproduced photographically (by infrared or electronic means) as prints or electronic displays

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imagery Cultural  

1. The mental pictures created by a piece of writing: “The imagery of “The Waste Land” — crumbling towers, dried-up wells, toppled tombstones — conveys the author's sense of a civilization in decay.”

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• imagerial
  adjective
• imagerially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• imageries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of imagery

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English imagerie, from Old French, equivalent to image + -ery

Explanation

Picture this: imagery is a noun to describe the way things or ideas seem in your mind or in art or literature. Imagery comes from image and originally referred to physical things like statues. Now it is more often used of an artist's or writer's depictions ("Shakespeare's imagery shows a wide knowledge of the world") or of the pictures of the world in someone's mind. Think of imagery as being the stockpile of your imagination. If the imagery in your dreams is a little scary, it might be time to stop eating those spicy meatball sandwiches right before bedtime.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

imagery imageries

Iran has circulated satellite imagery on social-media accounts showing what it says is damage to the base, including what appears to be a housing area.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

"Such imagery and misinformation only serve to widen the distrust between the Philippines and China," it added.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Jack White invited Twin Temple to open his Hollywood Palladium show after Charley Crockett dropped the satanic doo-wop duo over their ‘unholy’ imagery.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026

Death imagery as a bulwark against fear of death is so well known that it is covered under the psychological umbrella of Terror Management Theory as a coping mechanism.

From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026

Many words convey subtle shades of meaning, provide glimpses into the history of the language, conform to elegant principles of assembly, or enliven prose with distinctive imagery, sound, and rhythm.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

In each case, she examines her life through the lens of fairy tales, demonstrating how we can draw on their moralities and imageries to make sense of ourselves and our relationship to others.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 11, 2023

These are very real things, very real issues that we deal with, and the dope, almost simple act of just showing regular humans can counteract years of negative imageries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2021

As you pointed out, there are many beautiful imageries in science, and they are often produced during the course of conducting an experiment or as a way of presenting the result of said experiment.

From Scientific American ● Jan. 13, 2012

It was as if many lines of solemn thought had been meant to unite, about the resting-place of this local Adonis, in imageries full of some dim promise of immortal life.

From Greek Studies: a Series of Essays by Pater, Walter

Again, where it was entered by minor cañons, it became a breach through crowded pandemoniums of ruined architectures and forsaken, frowning imageries.

From Overland by De Forest, J. W. (John William)

Related Words

• symbolism