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 artist Awol Erizku, known for turning Manet and Vermeer paintings into contemporary Black portraiture, posed Lee under a golden basketball net.
—
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
More to Explore By documenting lushly hirsute Japanese officials alongside their beardless counterparts, portraiture preserved a photographic record of colonial subjects’ visibly inferior status.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 13 Sep. 2025
These digital or printed artworks allow people to indulge in the grandeur of old-world portraiture with a tongue-in-cheek sense of fun.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
The ‘Special Award for Creativity’ went to Adebayo Rotilu for Electric Silhouette, a daring portrait where the subject was lit exclusively by laser beams later converted to black and white, producing a futuristic interplay of light and shadow that pushes the boundaries of portraiture.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portraiture
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
More to Explore By documenting lushly hirsute Japanese officials alongside their beardless counterparts, portraiture preserved a photographic record of colonial subjects’ visibly inferior status.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 13 Sep. 2025
These digital or printed artworks allow people to indulge in the grandeur of old-world portraiture with a tongue-in-cheek sense of fun.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
The ‘Special Award for Creativity’ went to Adebayo Rotilu for Electric Silhouette, a daring portrait where the subject was lit exclusively by laser beams later converted to black and white, producing a futuristic interplay of light and shadow that pushes the boundaries of portraiture.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portraiture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraiture
Noun
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Uzbek artist Feruza Kholkhujaeva filled courtyards with potted plants that will slowly die, a portrait of grief.—
Dada Jovanovic,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
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Wolitzer’s debut novel, about a trio of college students each obsessed with a different dead poet, is both a striking coming-of-age story and a compelling portrait of grief.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The glass, etched with descriptions in Greek and hieroglyphics, was a foundation plate that said the temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
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Pierce also reportedly told professors that any mentions of trans identity must be taken out of course descriptions, while textbook chapters on trans identity must be omitted entirely.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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There's been much written about Brett Goldstein's award-winning turn as Ted Lasso's Roy Kent and his nuanced portrayal of Louis on Shrinking, but his writing credits are just as impressive (on Ted Lasso, Shrinking, and more).—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
26 Sep. 2025
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Phantom Thread is a masterfully claustrophobic portrayal of a ’50s fashion house, as well as a nuanced depiction of a petty despot ruling over his small kingdom.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The town's growing acknowledgement of its past comes at an odd time for a county that voted 76% for the president in 2024, which since being reelected has tried to erase negative depictions of the country's past.—
Jenna McMurtry,
NPR,
28 Sep. 2025
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Seriously though, the chemistry between Stewart and O’Brian is off the charts, which is all too rare for cinematic depictions of gender-nonconforming women.—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portraiture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraiture. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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