portraiture

noun

por·​trai·​ture ˈpȯr-trə-ˌchu̇r 

-chər,

-ˌtyu̇r,

-ˌtu̇r

1

: the making of portraits : portrayal

2

: portrait

Synonyms

• portrait
• description
• portrayal
• depiction

Examples of portraiture in a Sentence

The museum is exhibiting portraiture from the late 19th century.

Recent Examples on the Web

Working fluidly between portraiture, fine art, fashion, and documentary, I’ve always been drawn to using image-making to amplify and humanise deeply personal stories. —Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025

Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture. —Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2025

Mixing political memory with collective portraiture, the Basque-language film explores post-Franco youthful idealism. —Callum McLennan, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025

The artist Awol Erizku, known for turning Manet and Vermeer paintings into contemporary Black portraiture, posed Lee under a golden basketball net. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English purtreiture, portratowre, portrature "representation by painting or drawing, the art of painting or drawing," borrowed from Anglo-French purtraiture (also continental Old French pourtraiture), from purtrait, past participle of purtraire "to represent, depict" + -ure -ure — more at portray

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1