depiction
noun
de·pic·tion
di-ˈpik-shən 
dē-
plural depictions
: a representation in words or images of someone or something
The book is fascinating in its depiction of the country's early history.
The first part of the book … is a depiction of the nearly lost world of a North American hunter-gatherer community.—
Timothy Egan
Timothy EganThe late Vermont artist Stephen Huneck made works that are instantly recognizable—bright, accessible, folky depictions of dogs enjoying themselves.—James Heflin
James HeflinBy comparison with the depiction of domesticity in such 1950s staples as The Donna Reed Show and Ozzie and Harriet, the portrait of family life on The Dick Van Dyke Show, the emblematic sitcom of the early 1960s, seemed staggering in its sheer smartness and casual elegance.—Bruce Bawer
Bruce BawerExamples of depiction in a Sentence
the set piece of the novel is a depiction of the battle that makes readers feel like they were there
Recent Examples on the Web
Military depictions in film and TV tend to be intense, but Netflix's new series Boots offers something a little different.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025
Reminiscent of Polanski’s Repulsion in its nightmarish depiction of an unraveling mind, Vicious, which was initially slated for a theatrical release but is instead streaming on Paramount+, doesn’t come close to approximating its greatness.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Dickinson goes into unexpected territory, pairing dreamlike sequences with a verité depiction of a man caught in cycles of self harm.
—Esther Zuckerman, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Some of the figures will be instantly recognizable—Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson—and some of the depictions are based on historical portraiture.
—Peter Mendelsund, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
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Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025
Reminiscent of Polanski’s Repulsion in its nightmarish depiction of an unraveling mind, Vicious, which was initially slated for a theatrical release but is instead streaming on Paramount+, doesn’t come close to approximating its greatness.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Dickinson goes into unexpected territory, pairing dreamlike sequences with a verité depiction of a man caught in cycles of self harm.
—Esther Zuckerman, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Some of the figures will be instantly recognizable—Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson—and some of the depictions are based on historical portraiture.
—Peter Mendelsund, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for depiction
Cite this Entry
“Depiction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depiction. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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