imagery

noun

im·​ag·​ery ˈi-mij-rē 

-mi-jə-

plural imageries

1

a

: pictures produced by an imaging system

imagery from the satellite

b

: the product of image makers : images

A host of computer animation tools … have made it easier to create, manipulate, and multiply imagery.

—Dike Blair et al.

also : the art of making images

2

: figurative language

a poem with biblical imagery

3

: mental images

especially : the products of imagination

Examples of imagery in a Sentence

The book contains a great deal of sexual imagery.

The movie was full of biblical imagery.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the slop imagery is getting more sophisticated, creating a crisis of confidence among even those of us who grew up with the internet and fancy themselves expert, or at least decent, spotters of fake stuff. —Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025

Special thanks to Tonya Blazio-Licorish, archives editor at WWD, for archive research and imagery. —Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 13 Dec. 2025

Psychedelic depictions of Christian imagery, including Jesus’s crucifixion, come and go. —Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2025

Clips from the ad quickly spread on social media, where users mocked the off-putting imagery and questioned why the brand relied so heavily on AI for a holiday campaign that hinged on negativity. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ymagerie "images portrayed in sculpture, painting, etc.," borrowed from Anglo-French, from ymage, image image entry 1 + -erie -ery

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing imagery

• satellite imagery

Kids Definition

imagery

noun

im·​ag·​ery ˈim-ij-(ə-)rē 

plural imageries

1

: images that can be seen or that are imagined

2

: language that suggests how someone or something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes

Medical Definition

imagery

noun

im·​ag·​ery ˈim-ij-(ə-)rē 

plural imageries

: mental images

eidetic imagery

especially : the products of imagination

psychotic imagery