imagery

noun

im·​ag·​ery ˈi-mij-rē 

-mi-jə-

plural imageries

1

a

: pictures produced by an imaging system

imagery from the satellite

b

: the product of image makers : images

A host of computer animation tools … have made it easier to create, manipulate, and multiply imagery.

—Dike Blair et al.

also : the art of making images

2

: figurative language

a poem with biblical imagery

3

: mental images

especially : the products of imagination

Examples of imagery in a Sentence

The book contains a great deal of sexual imagery.

The movie was full of biblical imagery.

Recent Examples on the Web

The venue must be mapped to the projections down to the millimeter to ensure effects and imagery work properly, and each tour stop requires a custom script to tell its story through narration. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026

In his final years, Haring created powerful political imagery and was a particularly outspoken advocate for safe sex and AIDS awareness. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Drones equipped with cameras and sensors can provide inspection for hard-to-reach areas, capture detailed imagery and identify areas requiring remediation. — Natalie Lemke, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Three of those satellites also beamed back imagery of Starship’s heat shield, which must remain intact to ensure the spacecraft doesn’t break apart and burn up during reentry. — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ymagerie "images portrayed in sculpture, painting, etc.," borrowed from Anglo-French, from ymage, image image entry 1 + -erie -ery

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing imagery

• satellite imagery

Kids Definition

imagery

noun

im·​ag·​ery ˈim-ij-(ə-)rē 

plural imageries

1

: images that can be seen or that are imagined

2

: language that suggests how someone or something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes

Medical Definition

imagery

noun

im·​ag·​ery ˈim-ij-(ə-)rē 

plural imageries

: mental images

eidetic imagery

especially : the products of imagination

psychotic imagery