portrait

[pawr-trit, -treyt, pohr-]

noun

1. a likeness of a person, especially of the face, as a painting, drawing, or photograph.

   a gallery of family portraits.

2. a verbal picture or description, usually of a person.

   a biography that provides a fascinating portrait of an 18th-century rogue.

adjective

1. Digital Technology.,  relating to or producing vertical, upright orientation of computer or other digital output, with lines of data parallel to the two shorter sides of a page or screen. Compare landscape.

portrait

/ -treɪt, ˈpɔːtrɪt /

noun

1. 1. a painting, drawing, sculpture, photograph, or other likeness of an individual, esp of the face

   2. ( as modifier )

      a portrait gallery

2. a verbal description or picture, esp of a person's character

adjective

1. printing (of a publication or an illustration in a publication) of greater height than width Compare landscape

Other Word Forms

• portraitlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of portrait¹

1560–70; < Middle French: a drawing, image, etc., noun use of past participle of portraire to portray

Example Sentences

In what should be a pivotal scene, “Hamnet” looks much more like a satire of lachrymose Oscar bait than a portrait of the real thing.

Read more on Salon

For this portrait of poet A. E. Housman, Stoppard once again turned to historical figures for his cast.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

They feature the portraits of prominent Hebrew poets, with the 20 note in red, the 50 in green, the 100 in orange and the 200 in blue.

Read more on Barron's

Thanks to the convincing portrait that Mr. Sullivan draws of this unassuming investigator, we know this to be a fact and not a boast.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The metal ring adds minimal weight when attached and allows the phone to stand in portrait or landscape modes—perfect for reading, watching videos, and propping up the phone as a bedside alarm clock.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• account 
• characterization 
• depiction 
• figure 
• image 
• likeness 
• model 
• painting 
• photograph 
• picture 
• portrayal 
• profile 
• silhouette 
• sketch 
• snapshot 
• vignette