as in portrait
a vivid representation in words of someone or something
the author's meticulous portraiture of a small Midwestern town at the turn of the century
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Recent Examples of portraiture
The disjunction between the abstract composition and the notion of self-portraiture appeared perplexing in its own right; its inoperability only exacerbated the viewer’s frustration and redoubled the artist’s impish provocation.
—
Ara H. Merjian, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
What’s interesting about this bit of dialogue — and about this purposefully meta portraiture as a whole — is not who’s saying the line, but who’s playing who’s saying the line.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
Virtually unknown today, Wautier painted across genres, including portraiture, still life, and even historical scenes, which usually required the study of live models, a practice women were banned from.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Her practice spans portraiture, fashion, and intimate visual storytelling.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portraiture
Ara H. Merjian, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
What’s interesting about this bit of dialogue — and about this purposefully meta portraiture as a whole — is not who’s saying the line, but who’s playing who’s saying the line.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
Virtually unknown today, Wautier painted across genres, including portraiture, still life, and even historical scenes, which usually required the study of live models, a practice women were banned from.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Her practice spans portraiture, fashion, and intimate visual storytelling.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portraiture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraiture
Noun
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Exploring different lunar regions with the Artemis program could provide a more complete portrait of the landscape and its composition, and uncover clues on why the moon’s near and far sides differ, how much water the moon contains and how the silvery orb has evolved over time.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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The robust, 1,800-plus-piece collection includes everything from photographs by Jamel Shabazz and sculptures by John Ahearn to portraits painted by Henry Taylor.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Officers patrolling the area spotted a vehicle matching the description and attempted to stop it.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Feb. 2026
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Funds raised will go toward supporting Dane's wife, 54-year-old actress and model Rebecca Gayheart, and their daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, according to the page's description.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Mays’ portrayal is fiendishly complex.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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The portrayal of the character Buffalo Bill, also known as Jame Gumb, has been criticized over the years by the transgender community as harmful.—
Sarah Sotoodeh,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Frederick Wiseman, the pioneering documentary filmmaker whose penetrating, observational depictions of public institutions raised ethical issues and provoked social examination, has died.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
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Siqueira said her most meaningful tattoo is a depiction of a phoenix.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portraiture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraiture. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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