picture

1 of 2

noun

pic·​ture ˈpik-chər 

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

b

: movie sense 1

c

pictures plural : movies

5

: tableau sense 2

6

: situation

took a hard look at his financial picture

picture

2 of 2

verb

pictured; picturing ˈpik-chə-riŋ 

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

Synonyms of picture

Noun

• portrait
• image
• depiction
• illustration

Verb

• depict
• portray
• image

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

Noun

The junior shortstop/outfielder drew that picture Monday before Lemont (17-7) had its South Suburban Conference crossover game against Oak Lawn (10-8) postponed due to inclement weather. —Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026

As the first block was hoisted, Alemani darted to the railing to take a picture. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Verb

An earlier cut of the film did end in 1993 and addressed the allegations, but that ending had to be scrapped due to a clause in a legal settlement with an accuser that stipulated he could never be pictured or mentioned in a dramatization of Jackson’s life. —Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026

In the 2003 documentary Living with Michael Jackson, Michael was pictured holding hands with Gavin Arvizo, who was 13 years old and recovering from cancer at the time. —Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026

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

Phrases Containing picture

• a picture is worth a thousand words
• (as) pretty as a picture
• big picture
• B picture
• enter the picture
• enter the picture/scene
• get the picture
• in the picture
• keep someone in the picture
• motion picture
• moving picture
• out of the picture
• paint a rosy picture
• paint/draw a picture of
• picture book
• picture card
• picture frame
• picture hat
• picture-perfect
• picture-postcard
• picture puzzle
• picture tube
• picture window
• picture writing
• put someone in the picture
• the picture of
• the picture of health

Rhymes for picture

• stricture

Kids Definition

picture

1 of 2 noun

pic·​ture ˈpik-chər 

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

b

: motion picture

picture adjective

picture

2 of 2 verb

pictured; picturing ˈpik-chə-riŋ 

ˈpik-shriŋ

1

: to draw or paint a picture of : depict

2

: to describe vividly

3

: to form a mental image of : imagine