pictorial

1 of 2

adjective

pic·​to·​ri·​al pik-ˈtȯr-ē-əl How to pronounce pictorial (audio)
1
: of or relating to a painter, a painting, or the painting or drawing of pictures
pictorial perspective
2
a
: of, relating to, or consisting of pictures
pictorial records
b
: illustrated by pictures
pictorial weekly
c
: consisting of or displaying the characteristics of pictographs
d
: suggesting or conveying visual images
pictorial poetry
pictorially adverb
pictorialness noun

pictorial

2 of 2

noun

: a periodical having much pictorial matter

Examples of pictorial in a Sentence

Adjective a pictorial record of the trip that photojournalist is planning to do a primarily pictorial report on the famine in Africa
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Her collection features millions of childhood artworks across developmental milestones — from scribbles to finger paintings and pictorial works — and has served as a major source of inspiration for Belott’s own artistic practice. Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 27 June 2025 Guests enjoy regional meals and vintage art, plus cycling and hiking trails and, most notably, Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos, a route through southern Spain’s most pictorial white villages. Jessica Benavides Canepa, AFAR Media, 4 June 2025
Noun
Bold face names abound in its 204 glossy pages including John F. Kennedy Jr., whose mother, the late Jackie Onassis, was the subject of a 1975 pictorial when a paparazzo with a long lens and a publisher with a fat wallet, shared images of her undressed. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025 The coffee table tome, its black cover embossed with gold lettering and shrouded in shrink wrap, includes reproductions of dozens of covers and pictorials and Flynt’s crusading columns against censorship that tackled issues including gay, transgender and women’s rights decades ago. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for pictorial

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Late Latin pictorius, from Latin pictor painter — more at picturesque

First Known Use

Adjective

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1844, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pictorial was in 1646

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pictorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pictorial. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

pictorial

adjective
pic·​to·​ri·​al
pik-ˈtōr-ē-əl,
-ˈtȯr-
1
: of or relating to painting or drawing
pictorial art
2
: consisting of or illustrated by pictures
pictorial magazines
3
: suggesting or communicating vivid mental images
pictorial poetry
pictorially
-ē-ə-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on pictorial

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