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:
But in the way it’s made, “You Can See Everything” is the best portrayal I’ve seen of my subjective experience of autism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
He owned his portrayal of Gurney Halleck in “Dune” so completely that nobody blinked when he dashed into a battle scene bellowing mightily while clutching a pug, of all things.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
Mr. Wainwright gives a vastly more serious, even grim, portrayal of the maverick Parisian detective, but he is granted humanity by his supporting cast, including my favorite, James Northcote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
It nabbed a Golden Globe and two Emmys and was nominated for more than a dozen more, and Dunham scored a Golden Globe for lead actress for her portrayal of Horvath.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Yet in its very portrayal, and in the lavish detail paid to its design, there was a certain false glitz, as though the entire exhibit were under a limelight.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
"The more portrayals that we see on TV, that's going to inspire more disabled people to think it's a career for them," he says.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
“The Score” benefits from the comic-bordering-on-caricaturish portrayals of some of its characters, including not just Frederick but also three court composers in cahoots with him to humiliate Bach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Their portrayals, mixing ferocious strength with stark vulnerability, make the tragedy’s pileup of bodies at the end all the more piercing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
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
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
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