Depict and Depiction

If you depict someone or something, you show what that person or thing is like—either in some kind of image (such as a drawing, painting, photograph, or movie), or with words.

What results from your efforts to depict that person or thing can be called a depiction. The noun depiction is included at this entry without a definition because its meaning can be easily understood from the definition of the verb—it's the act of, or an instance of, depicting something or someone—but some examples of depiction in a sentence might be helpful:

The depiction of the battle in the painting is not historically correct.

I think the novel is a good depiction of a typical modern American marriage.

Many were moved by the film's depictions of animals helping people.

The author's depiction of the practice as uncommon is problematic; it's done by millions of people throughout the world every day.

The essay is an honest depiction of life in the city.

The book is fascinating in its depiction of the country's early history.

Examples of depict in a Sentence

The wall was painted with a large mural depicting famous scenes from American history. Several of the architect's most famous buildings will soon be depicted on postage stamps. The photograph depicts the two brothers standing in front of a store. Angels are usually depicted with wings. In the drawing, the magic cap was depicted as a soft, black hat. The movie depicts the life of early settlers. I like the way she depicts the characters in her novels.

Recent Examples on the Web Plus, the Huntington Library has acquired a cache of images that depict daily life in L.A.'s old Chinatown. — Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2021 The backlash from the LGBTQ community was only exacerbated by Emmerich, who repeatedly defended the decision to depict Stonewall in that way. — Nick Romano, EW.com, 27 May 2021 Most of the pieces in this selection depict simple things in a complex manner and on an imposing scale. — Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2021 Commentators frequently depict the charismatic leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in sharp contrast with the decentralized and seemingly leaderless nature of the current movement. — Sarah Silkey, The Conversation, 7 July 2020 In a photo taken of a club gathering, supplied to Rolling Stone by the ADL, a woman wears a biker patch that appears to depict a black face in a circle crossed out by a diagonal line. — Steve Volk, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2021 An image on Arquus's web site seems to depict Scarabée with a 30-millimeter chain gun, such as the M320LF. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 15 Mar. 2021 The point of view rotates from one character to another, allowing Coster to depict their complex situations and moral ambiguities with depth and compassion. — Kathleen Rooney, Star Tribune, 26 Feb. 2021 Some indeed are radiant beams strewn across the sky elsewhere in Alaska, but others depict hometown skylines or star trails in their own backyards. — Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'depict.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.