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

The late Vermont artist Stephen Huneck made works that are instantly recognizable—bright, accessible, folky depictions of dogs enjoying themselves.

—James Heflin

By 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

Synonyms of depiction

• description
• portrait
• portrayal
• picture

Examples 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

The story is a moving and raw depiction of a lasting familial love. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 28 Sep. 2026

To anyone who had actually seen the documentary, with its droll depiction of collective self-aggrandizement, this was hogwash. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

Imitation isn’t always a form of flattery, as evidenced by these stars’ reactions to on-screen depictions of their lives. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026

The depiction of schizophrenia on screen — especially in horror movies — has largely seen the mental health condition linked to violent and unpredictable rages, showing people when something has gone horribly wrong. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for depiction

• addiction
• affliction
• constriction
• conviction
• eviction
• infliction
• nonfiction
• prediction
• restriction
• antifriction
• benediction
• contradiction