imagery

noun

im·​ag·​ery ˈi-mij-rē 

-mi-jə-

plural imageries

1

a

: pictures produced by an imaging system

imagery from the satellite

b

: the product of image makers : images

A host of computer animation tools … have made it easier to create, manipulate, and multiply imagery.

—Dike Blair et al.

also : the art of making images

2

: figurative language

a poem with biblical imagery

3

: mental images

especially : the products of imagination

Examples of imagery in a Sentence

The book contains a great deal of sexual imagery.

The movie was full of biblical imagery.

Recent Examples on the Web

Musgraves’ approach is to be anything but subtle in her imagery, so the lyrics can speak for themselves and open doors for other women to be just as candid. — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Gemma, who’s a new character to the series and doesn’t really know about the Further yet, works at a dentist’s office, so writer-director Jacob Chase has fun with dental implements and X-rays, as well as constant tooth imagery. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026

Orbital imagery has shown that unlike its heavily cratered sibling moon, Phobos, which means fear in ancient Greek, Deimos is much smoother — and covered in a perplexing layer of dust and rubble called regolith. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

This curveball makes for some startling imagery, but doesn’t emerge from any particular circumstance of this dystopian scenario, and doesn’t illuminate anything about it either. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ymagerie "images portrayed in sculpture, painting, etc.," borrowed from Anglo-French, from ymage, image image entry 1 + -erie -ery

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing imagery

• satellite imagery

Kids Definition

imagery

noun

im·​ag·​ery ˈim-ij-(ə-)rē 

plural imageries

1

: images that can be seen or that are imagined

2

: language that suggests how someone or something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes

Medical Definition

imagery

noun

im·​ag·​ery ˈim-ij-(ə-)rē 

plural imageries

: mental images

eidetic imagery

especially : the products of imagination

psychotic imagery