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

• 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

Beneath the surface of this glossy novel is a heartfelt depiction of the obstacles aspirant writers face in trying to both produce and publish. —Susan Coll september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025

Brian De Palma's lurid, almost feverish depiction of the bullying and abuse that Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) suffers at school and at home manages to feel empathetic rather than exploitative. —James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025

Muscle Man is a lot of fun, though, and not just a political parable, because of Castro’s granular depiction of consciousness. —Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025

The play’s serious depiction of class politics and illegitimate birth were considered shocking by contemporary audiences. —Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025

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