pictography

noun

pic·​tog·​ra·​phy pik-ˈtä-grə-fē 

: use of pictographs : picture writing sense 1

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Some might fear that our dependence on emojis signals a backward step in civilization, a reversion to pictography and the limits of literal representation. —Ligaya Mishan Melody Melamed, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2022

Ken Falk is a graphic designer, the kind of dad who, upon seeing a magazine ad, might provide an impromptu discourse on pictography. —Chris Ballard, SI.com, 8 Mar. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above