portrayal

noun

por·tray·al | \ pȯr-ˈtrā(-ə)l

, pər-\

Definition of portrayal

1 : the act or process or an instance of portraying : representation

2 : portrait

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Examples of portrayal in a Sentence

his novel presents a moving portrayal of a woman searching for personal fulfillment and happiness

Recent Examples on the Web

That certainly is not the most honest portrayal of her past. — Zack Beauchamp, Vox, "Julia Salazar, the socialist politician accused of lying about her past, explained," 7 Sep. 2018 Shanshui is said to be not just a portrayal of nature but also an expression of the artist’s inner self. — Lori Waxman, chicagotribune.com, "Xu Longsen's artistic reminder of the vastness of nature," 14 June 2018 The one-minute, 45-second ad is a polished and accurate portrayal of Hogan’s effort to work with Maryland Democrats on health care. — Michael Dresser, baltimoresun.com, "Gov. Larry Hogan's health care ad paints D.C. as problem, bipartisanship (and himself) as the cure," 8 June 2018 All in all, the show was such a benign portrayal of Trumpland that Trump himself applauded it. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "The Roseanne Fantasy Is Over," 30 May 2018 The 101-year-old actress was not happy about her portrayal in the 2017 docudrama, but a California court of appeals has reversed a trial court's decision green-lighting her lawsuit against FX and showrunner Ryan Murphy on 1st Amendment grounds. — latimes.com, "Today: Russia, the Slapdown and the Silence," 27 Mar. 2018 It's been a big winner in the awards circuit this year, with Rami Malek praised for his ah-MAZE-ing portrayal of Mercury. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "What Queen Says About Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury In 'Bohemian Rhapsody'," 23 Feb. 2019 In 1976 Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman won wide acclaim for their convincing portrayals of Watergate reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein without any effort whatever to replicate their appearance. — Peter Funt, WSJ, "Hollywood’s Mimicry Can Miss the Point," 21 Feb. 2019 Thank you George Eads for your amazing portrayal of Jack Dalton. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "'MacGyver' Fans Threaten They're 'Done with the Show' After George Eads's Emotional Exit," 4 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'portrayal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.