picture

1 of 2

noun

pic·​ture ˈpik-chər How to pronounce picture (audio)
1
: a design or representation made by various means (such as painting, drawing, or photography)
2
a
: a description so vivid or graphic as to suggest a mental image or give an accurate idea of something
the book gives a detailed picture of what is happening
b
: a mental image
3
: image, copy
he was the picture of his father
she was the very picture of health
4
a
: a transitory visible image or reproduction
c
pictures plural : movies
5
6
: situation
took a hard look at his financial picture

picture

2 of 2

verb

pictured; picturing ˈpik-chə-riŋ How to pronounce picture (audio)
ˈpik-shriŋ

transitive verb

1
: to form a mental image of : imagine
2
: to describe graphically in words
3
: to paint or draw a representation, image, or visual conception of : depict
also : illustrate

Examples of picture in a Sentence

Noun I hung the picture on the wall. The book has a lot of pictures. Draw a picture of your house. The staff looked at the financial picture of the company. The overall economic picture is improving. Verb I can still picture the house I grew up in. I can't picture changing jobs at this point in my life. Picture what it would be like if you didn't own a car. Can you picture him as a teacher?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Biden posted a picture on social media with his wife, Jill, after the announcement. Sam Woodward, USA Today, 23 May 2025 The strike notice followed an industrial inquiry commission report on the negotiations that painted a bleak picture of Canada Post’s financial health. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 23 May 2025
Verb
As his two sons run around its Civil War display, throwing paper darts and speculating on why otters exist, J.B. slips away to the room of paintings by Arthur Dove, an early abstractionist, checks out how they’re attached to the wall and pictures his future winnings. Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 May 2025 What is Magna Carta? 10 of 10 Morris the Alligator, pictured above, died this week. Jeremy Engle, New York Times, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for picture

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin pictura, from pictus, past participle of pingere to paint — more at paint

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of picture was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Picture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picture. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

picture

1 of 2 noun
pic·​ture ˈpik-chər How to pronounce picture (audio)
1
: a design or image made on a surface (as by painting, drawing, or photography)
2
a
: a clear description in words
the book gives us a picture of another way of life
b
: a mental image : idea
do you get the picture?
3
: a particular combination of circumstances : situation
an improvement of the economic picture
4
a
: an exact likeness : copy
b
: a perfect symbol of something : embodiment
the picture of health
5
a
: an image on a screen
picture adjective

picture

2 of 2 verb
pictured; picturing ˈpik-chə-riŋ How to pronounce picture (audio)
ˈpik-shriŋ
1
: to draw or paint a picture of : depict
2
: to describe vividly
3
: to form a mental image of : imagine

More from Merriam-Webster on picture

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