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

Walmart has removed a T-shirt from its online marketplace and cut ties with the third-party seller responsible, after a social media post ignited widespread backlash over its imagery, which some critics interpreted as a racist reference to the Black Lives Matter movement. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025

Similar to new exhibition models like ScreenX, the Cosm bookings wrap imagery from the film around the entire space, not just the main screen, with the goal of creating a more immersive experience. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 17 Nov. 2025

The project has ignited months of heated debate across the south of Boston, with critics arguing that using taxpayer money to display Catholic imagery on government property violates both the Massachusetts Constitution and the First Amendment’s establishment clause. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 16 Nov. 2025

His aesthetic, combined with the dreamlike imagery of our DOP Martin Schlecht, creates a magnetic pull that draws audiences deep into the emotional landscapes of our characters. —Ellise Shafer, Variety, 14 Nov. 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