as in descriptions
a vivid representation in words of someone or something
his account created in the jurors' heads a detailed portrait of a lonely old man
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Recent Examples of portraits
For instance, portraits of Kim II Sung, the founder and supreme leader of North Korea, and Kim Jong Il, the father of current leader Kim Jong Un, are mandatory in public places like train stations, hospitals, schools and factories.
—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
Centred on intimate portraits of women rebuilding their lives, the film follows individuals shaping a future in the shadow of a shared past.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2026
Duke Gardens provides a gorgeous backdrop for family snapshots, portraits, and engagement photos.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Dogs are made to feel very welcome—there’s a dog hook and bowl in the entrance hall, and a bed set up by the large stone fireplace; plus lots of doggie portraits on the walls.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2026
These are films that reflect the human condition through inspirational tales of struggle, tragic true stories, life-threatening conflicts, and intimate psychological portraits.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
Welcoming model Amelia Gray as a guest judge, Klum posed for portraits with the 24-year-old, who paired a cropped blue-violet turtleneck with a matching low-slung slit skirt.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
This is where the city stages its daily open-air show — street artists sketching portraits, fortune-tellers shuffling cards and musicians playing for appreciative crowds.
—Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Elsewhere, Paula Rego’s two self portraits from 2017 show the artist howling through expressive pastel strokes.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
Centred on intimate portraits of women rebuilding their lives, the film follows individuals shaping a future in the shadow of a shared past.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2026
Duke Gardens provides a gorgeous backdrop for family snapshots, portraits, and engagement photos.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Dogs are made to feel very welcome—there’s a dog hook and bowl in the entrance hall, and a bed set up by the large stone fireplace; plus lots of doggie portraits on the walls.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2026
These are films that reflect the human condition through inspirational tales of struggle, tragic true stories, life-threatening conflicts, and intimate psychological portraits.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
Welcoming model Amelia Gray as a guest judge, Klum posed for portraits with the 24-year-old, who paired a cropped blue-violet turtleneck with a matching low-slung slit skirt.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
This is where the city stages its daily open-air show — street artists sketching portraits, fortune-tellers shuffling cards and musicians playing for appreciative crowds.
—Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Elsewhere, Paula Rego’s two self portraits from 2017 show the artist howling through expressive pastel strokes.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraits
Noun
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South Korean officials confirmed details of Kim’s defection, and his descriptions of hardships faced by North Koreans mirror numerous accounts defectors shared with CNN.—
Mike Valerio,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
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There’s a lot of adjectives that get used in character descriptions and direction.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The housekeepers greet me with genuine care, the bartenders create cocktails with panache and smiles, and the doormen and women jauntily pose for pictures in their thick Batman-style winter cloaks.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Vakoch said that among the early proponents of displaying pictures to communicate with extraterrestrials was the illustrious mathematician Karl Friedrich Gauss.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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These policies have been expanded into sweeping bans on Pride events and depictions of homosexuality in media like films and TV.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Apr. 2026
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Jackson’s settlement with the Chandler family turned out to include an agreement that forbade the estate to participate in depictions of the events around Chandler’s allegation.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And although the film includes portrayals of many of the Jackson siblings, some also asked to be left out of the biopic, including Janet.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Cheadle, Young, and Ha deliver effortless portrayals.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And my feeling is that there have been brilliant and daring sketches that didn’t make the cut that should have.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
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Myers, who joined Saturday Night Live in the late 1980s, became known for his offbeat characters and distinctly stylized sketches, something with which Armisen immediately connected.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portraits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraits. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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