Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

portrayal

American  
[pawr-trey-uhl, pohr-] / pɔrˈtreɪ əl, poʊr- /

noun

  1. the act of portraying.

  2. a portrait.

Other Word Forms

  • misportrayal noun
  • nonportrayal noun
  • preportrayal noun

Etymology

Origin of portrayal

First recorded in 1840–50; portray + -al 2

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.

"The Cardinal emphatically denied the media's portrayal of his meeting with Colby," Burch said.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

The provided search results do not contain expressed viewpoints that offer a contrasting perspective to the article’s portrayal of Kavanagh’s work or Rough & Tumble’s value as a news aggregator.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

"So many people who work in tech were shaped by the portrayal of science, technology in those kind of shows."

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Mr. Crowley provides an insightful and reasonably accurate portrayal of Donald Trump’s political rationale.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Set in a poverty- and drug-stricken African-American fishing community in the South, Porgy and Bess was notable for its sympathetic but clear-eyed portrayal of underclass life.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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.