portrayal
AmericanOther Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of portrayal
Explanation
If you like the way an actor played the role of Abraham Lincoln, you might praise his portrayal of the sixteenth president. Use the noun portrayal to describe the representation of someone, either in the form of a dramatic character, a spoken description, or even a photograph or painting of the person. You can also talk about the portrayal of an object or idea: "Dorothea Lange's photographs are an accurate portrayal of the Great Depression." The Old French word portraire, "to draw or trace," is the root of portrayal.
Vocabulary lists containing portrayal
Academy Awards, List 6
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Between Shades of Gray
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The Unmapped Sea
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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:
She was best known for her portrayal of the bubbly Seabrook High cheerleader Bree in Disney’s “Zombies” franchise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Nadira Goffe praises Lanterns’ deft portrayal of the Black American experience.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
Her portrayal of Doralee Rhodes combined comic timing with warmth, helping to redefine expectations of performers crossing over from music into film.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Maybe “Lanterns” can inspire us with its portrayal of worthiness.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
All were an accurate portrayal and would certainly be considered anti-Soviet.
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
Adds Miyashita: "These puzzles beckon our curiosity. After all, spiral forms in nature have inspired human creations ranging from rotini pasta, to a barber's pole or even portrayals of the biblical 'Tower of Babel'."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
Most of the characters are flat and the portrayals stagey, starting with Mr. Grammer’s gruff but likable Fairfax.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
And although the film includes portrayals of many of the Jackson siblings, some also asked to be left out of the biopic, including Janet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
The briefings have been chest-thumping affairs, revelling in portrayals of American military supremacy.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
Fortunately, today’s scientists, historians, and art collectors have rediscovered and acknowledged her work for what it is: amazingly beautiful, accurate portrayals of insect metamorphoses and ecosystems.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
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.
