portrait
Americannoun
-
portraits
plural
-
a likeness of a person, especially of the face, as a painting, drawing, or photograph.
a gallery of family portraits.
-
a verbal picture or description, usually of a person.
a biography that provides a fascinating portrait of an 18th-century rogue.
adjective
noun
-
-
a painting, drawing, sculpture, photograph, or other likeness of an individual, esp of the face
-
( as modifier )
a portrait gallery
-
-
a verbal description or picture, esp of a person's character
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of portrait
1560–70; < Middle French: a drawing, image, etc., noun use of past participle of portraire to portray
Explanation
A portrait is a portrayal of a person, usually showing the person's face (but not always). A portrait can be a painting, a photograph, an ink drawing, a sculpture — or even a description in words or in a film. Portrait is a term often used when talking about artwork. Go to an art museum, especially one that has a historic collection, and you'll likely see many portraits hanging on the walls. Formal portraits were commissioned by wealthy people throughout history. A portrait can also be a written description of someone's appearance or character. If you describe your Mom in such detail that everyone can imagine what she's like, you've created a portrait of her.
Vocabulary lists containing portrait
Face It: Selfie Vocab
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Inside Out & Back Again
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Earthquake"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A pen portrait from Germeney's mother, read out at the beginning of the inquest by the coroner, said Germeney and the children were "our complete world" and "were beautiful, funny, extremely kind, loving and caring".
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
At a portrait of Yevgeni Postel, a 25-year-old student, his mother laid a bouquet of flowers and broke down sobbing.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The internet is laden with Reddit arguments and academic examinations questioning Steinbeck’s portrait of her beastliness.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
Monét’s goal on “Frequency of Love” was a portrait of romance that reflects real life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
They were Edward Ashton’s eyes, lifted straight from the portrait in Lord Fredrick’s study.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
At the Nova site, mourners gathered in front of portraits both of festival-goers and security forces who died on October 7.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
"These are our heroes; the greatest children of Israel," said one police officer as he looked at portraits of his fallen colleagues.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Manchester United fan Chow is well-known for his portraits of famous faces and he has previously created images of footballers, including Wayne Rooney, Edgar Davids and Ronaldinho.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
There are thousands of masterpiece portraits whose subjects remain unidentified.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
They look like gentlemen, or at least they do in the oil portraits that they have painted of themselves to boost their social status.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
