picture

1 of 2

noun

pic·​ture ˈpik-chər How to pronounce picture (audio)
1
: a design or representation made by various means (such as painting, drawing, or photography)
2
a
: a description so vivid or graphic as to suggest a mental image or give an accurate idea of something
the book gives a detailed picture of what is happening
b
: a mental image
3
: image, copy
he was the picture of his father
she was the very picture of health
4
a
: a transitory visible image or reproduction
c
pictures plural : movies
5
6
: situation
took a hard look at his financial picture

picture

2 of 2

verb

pictured; picturing ˈpik-chə-riŋ How to pronounce picture (audio)
ˈpik-shriŋ

transitive verb

1
: to form a mental image of : imagine
2
: to describe graphically in words
3
: to paint or draw a representation, image, or visual conception of : depict
also : illustrate

Examples of picture in a Sentence

Noun I hung the picture on the wall. The book has a lot of pictures. Draw a picture of your house. The staff looked at the financial picture of the company. The overall economic picture is improving. Verb I can still picture the house I grew up in. I can't picture changing jobs at this point in my life. Picture what it would be like if you didn't own a car. Can you picture him as a teacher?
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Prosecutors were working with the Orlando Police Department and have asked the public to submit any videos or pictures from the night of the shooting. Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024 Special thanks to Lorena James, Cole Walker, and Lin Kai Ye for taking the time to be interviewed for this article and for submitting pictures. Earl Carr, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
In still images and videos, each person is dressed in Boss holiday looks and pictured against neon lights — images meant to reference the idea that everyone carries a powerful light within them. Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024 Days after Vladimir Putin's troops were pictured raising their flags over a municipal building in Selydove, the defense ministry in Moscow said Tuesday its troops had captured the important staging area for Ukraine's defenses. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for picture 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin pictura, from pictus, past participle of pingere to paint — more at paint

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of picture was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near picture

Cite this Entry

“Picture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picture. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

picture

1 of 2 noun
pic·​ture ˈpik-chər How to pronounce picture (audio)
1
: a design or image made on a surface (as by painting, drawing, or photography)
2
a
: a clear description in words
the book gives us a picture of another way of life
b
: a mental image : idea
do you get the picture?
3
: a particular combination of circumstances : situation
an improvement of the economic picture
4
a
: an exact likeness : copy
b
: a perfect symbol of something : embodiment
the picture of health
5
a
: an image on a screen
picture adjective

picture

2 of 2 verb
pictured; picturing ˈpik-chə-riŋ How to pronounce picture (audio)
ˈpik-shriŋ
1
: to draw or paint a picture of : depict
2
: to describe vividly
3
: to form a mental image of : imagine

More from Merriam-Webster on picture

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