Definition of depict
transitive verb
1 : to represent by or as if by a picture a mural depicting a famous battle
2 : describe 1 the way the novelist depicts his female characters
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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 of depict from the Web
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Yet the release of trailers of that scene, and a few others depicting the torrid affair that follows, was enough to ignite a firestorm in Russia’s culture wars.
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The image depicts the bearded, long-haired singer emoting from inside a circular, coin-like design.
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Several images depict the dancers wearing the sneakers at two South Florida events.
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Payday lenders are fond of depicting their industry, estimated to be worth $46 billion, as serving a vital social purpose.
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A spokeswoman for the Finnish Committee for UNICEF says the donor decided to give the money after being moved by photos and news reports depicting the horrible living conditions for people in Syria.
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Others congregate around the umbrella tables in the shadow of the reconstructed Bradley Building, with its temporary mural depicting downtown in an upside-down perspective.
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The terrifying hubris depicted in the movie is ever more pertinent given that President Trump has recently signaled an intention to increase the American military presence in Afghanistan.
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Linda Sagan's initial drawing including a line depicting a woman's vulva, which was erased by NASA higher-ups (the woman has no genitalia).
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.
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.
Origin and Etymology of depict
Latin depictus, past participle of depingere, from de- + pingere to paint — more at paint
First Known Use: 15th century
DEPICT Defined for English Language Learners
depict
playDefinition of depict for English Language Learners
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: to show (someone or something) in a picture, painting, photograph, etc.
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: to describe (someone or something) using words, a story, etc.
DEPICT Defined for Kids
depict
playDefinition of depict for Students
depicted
;depicting
1 : to represent by a picture
2 : to describe in words
Learn More about depict
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See words that rhyme with depict Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for depict Spanish Central: Translation of depict Nglish: Translation of depict for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of depict for Arabic speakers
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