1
a
: a visual representation of something: such as
(1)
: a likeness of an object produced on a photographic material
(2)
: a picture produced on an electronic display (such as a television or computer screen)
b
: the optical counterpart of an object produced by an optical device (such as a lens or mirror) or an electronic device
2
a(1)
: a mental picture or impression of something
had a negative body image of herself
(2)
: a mental conception held in common by members of a group and symbolic of a basic attitude and orientation
a disorderly courtroom can seriously tarnish a community's image of justice—
Herbert Brownell
Herbert Brownell3
: a popular conception (as of a person, institution, or nation) projected especially through the mass media
promoting a corporate image of brotherly love and concern—R. C. Buck
R. C. Buck4
a
: exact likeness : semblance
God created man in his own image—Genesis 1:27 (Revised Standard Version)
Genesis 1:27 (Revised Standard Version)
b
: a person strikingly like another person
she is the image of her mother
5
a
: a tangible or visible representation : incarnation
the image of filial devotion
b
archaic
: an illusory form : apparition
6
: a vivid or graphic representation or description
7
: a reproduction or imitation of the form of a person or thing
especially
: an imitation in solid form : statue
8
9
: a set of values given by a mathematical function (such as a homomorphism) that corresponds to a particular subset of the domain
imaged; imaging
1
a
: to create a representation of
also
: to form an image of
imaged Jupiter's rings
image the bone using X-rays
b
: to represent symbolically
2
: to call up a mental picture of : imagine
3
: to describe or portray in language especially in a vivid manner
5
: to make a disk image of
Many computer forensics programs now include the option of imaging a suspect drive.—Yvonne Jewkes
Yvonne JewkesExamples of image in a Sentence
Noun
She studied her image in the mirror.
The kids sat staring at the images on the TV screen.
painters capturing images of war
black-and-white images of the city
His poem evokes images of the sea and warm summer days.
He is trying hard to improve his image.
The law suit has negatively affected the company's public image.
a politician who cares more about image than about telling the truth
Verb
in the painting Sacagawea is imaged as an intrepid woman pointing the way for Lewis and Clark
the brochure images a vacation at the resort in language that makes you want to make a reservation this instant
Recent Examples on the Web
Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
That potentially gives him the opportunity to shape the country’s politics in his and his party’s image in a way no leader has since the Liberals’ John Howard in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
For example, in 2023, imaging giant Adobe took an unusual step by training its Firefly AI models solely on licensed stock photos and public domain works, demonstrating that alternative approaches are possible.
—ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for image
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Noun
Micromanagement isn’t always the classic image of a controlling boss hovering nearby.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
That potentially gives him the opportunity to shape the country’s politics in his and his party’s image in a way no leader has since the Liberals’ John Howard in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
Verb
The viewer navigates the complex composition, imaging how disparate elements can fit together with frenzy and finesse.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
For example, in 2023, imaging giant Adobe took an unusual step by training its Firefly AI models solely on licensed stock photos and public domain works, demonstrating that alternative approaches are possible.
—ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for image
Cite this Entry
“Image.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/image. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
image
1 of 2 noun
im·age
ˈim-ij 
1
: something (as a statue) made to look like a person or thing
2
: a picture of an object formed by a device (as a mirror, lens, or electronic system)
3
: a likeness or picture produced on a photographic material or electronic display screen
4
: a person who looks very much like another
5
a
: a mental picture of something not actually present
b
: a mental picture created by words
c
: a popular idea of what something or someone is that is created especially by advertising and publicity
image
2 of 2 verb
imaged; imaging
Medical Definition
image
1 of 2 noun
im·age
ˈim-ij
1
a
: the optical counterpart of an object produced by an optical device (as a lens or mirror) or an electronic device see real image, virtual image
b
: a likeness of an object produced on a photographic material
2
: a mental picture or impression of something
had a negative body image of herself
: as
a(1)
: a mental conception held in common by members of a group and symbolic of a basic attitude and orientation
the compassionate small-town family doctor, an image that the AMA deeply admires—Current Biography
Current Biography
(2)
: an idealized conception of a person and especially a parent that is formed by an infant or child, is retained in the unconscious, and influences behavior in later life
the overwhelming influence of the mother image—John Messenger
John Messengercalled also imago
b
: the memory of a perception in psychology that is modified by subsequent experience
also
: the representation of the source of a stimulus on a receptor mechanism
image
2 of 2 verb
imaged; imaging
1
: to call up a mental picture of : imagine
2
: to create a representation of
also
: to form an image of
the liver was imaged
the animals were anesthetized and imaged with a gamma camera —R. T. Proffitt et al.
R. T. Proffitt et al.
: to form an image
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