portrayal

noun

por·​tray·​al pȯr-ˈtrā(-ə)l How to pronounce portrayal (audio)
pər-
1
: the act or process or an instance of portraying : representation
2

Examples of portrayal in a Sentence

his novel presents a moving portrayal of a woman searching for personal fulfillment and happiness
Recent Examples on the Web
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Each of these artists — whether through sculpture, photography, video, painting or language — has challenged conventional portrayals of women’s bodies, emotions and experiences. Megan Williams, CNN Money, 18 July 2025 This will be the 21-year-old actor’s highest profile role to date, offering a conventionally attractive portrayal of the Founding Father with all of his original teeth intact. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 July 2025 Aster expresses this surging cross-contamination by splicing in references to the many plagues of 2020: Donald Trump, cryptocurrency, Covid-hoarding, pedophilia rings, the media’s portrayal of Antifa. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025 Hollywood’s portrayal of creating suspense and drama add a layer of confusion, often portraying technologies such as facial recognition, fingerprint and iris scanning, behavior analytics or DNA analysis in unrealistic and impractical ways. Dara Riordan, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for portrayal

Word History

Etymology

portray + -al entry 2

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of portrayal was in 1843

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Cite this Entry

“Portrayal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portrayal. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

portrayal

noun
por·​tray·​al pōr-ˈtrā(-ə)l How to pronounce portrayal (audio)
pȯr-
1
: the act or process of portraying : representation
2

More from Merriam-Webster on portrayal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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