portrayal
noun
por·tray·al
pȯr-ˈtrā(-ə)l 
pər-
1
: the act or process or an instance of portraying : representation
2
: portrait
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
In order to truly understand the college walk-on process, Manning transformed into Powers by using skin and hair prosthetics — which resemble Powell's portrayal of the character — and signed up for the real Penn State football tryouts.
—
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
During his recent appearance on This Past Weekend, the Saturday Night Live alum predicted that Goggins will be the next star to face backlash after seeing a similar rise in attention as Pascal after his portrayal as Rick Hatchett in the recent installment of Mike White's acclaimed HBO series.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Women artists within the movement often drew on its dreamlike language to counter male surrealists’ idealized and objectifying portrayals of women, reclaiming their own agency and identity.
—Sally Jane Brown, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Images shared on social media ranged from brunches and farmers markets to families strolling downtown, to counter the president’s portrayal.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portrayal
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.
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
During his recent appearance on This Past Weekend, the Saturday Night Live alum predicted that Goggins will be the next star to face backlash after seeing a similar rise in attention as Pascal after his portrayal as Rick Hatchett in the recent installment of Mike White's acclaimed HBO series.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Women artists within the movement often drew on its dreamlike language to counter male surrealists’ idealized and objectifying portrayals of women, reclaiming their own agency and identity.
—Sally Jane Brown, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Images shared on social media ranged from brunches and farmers markets to families strolling downtown, to counter the president’s portrayal.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portrayal
Cite this Entry
“Portrayal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portrayal. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
portrayal
noun
por·tray·al
pōr-ˈtrā(-ə)l
pȯr-
1
: the act or process of portraying : representation
2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share