imagery

noun

im·​ag·​ery ˈi-mij-rē 

-mi-jə-

plural imageries

1

a

: pictures produced by an imaging system

b

: the product of image makers : images

also : the art of making images

2

: figurative language

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

Given Majerus’s incorporation of digital imagery, such as video-game sprites, and the fluency of his tech-culture references, Arcangel guessed that Majerus was as much a digital artist as an analog painter. —Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 7 May 2025

On the reverse, the seasons are represented with imagery evoking the moods of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. —Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025

The picture contained pornographic imagery in the background. —Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 6 May 2025

Satellite radar imagery taken more than two decades ago of Uturuncu — the tallest mountain in southwestern Bolivia — showed that forces inside the volcano had lifted and then lowered a region near the summit measuring about 93 miles (150 kilometers) wide, creating a shape like a sombrero. —Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 5 May 2025

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