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 Jewkes
Synonyms
Examples 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
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Recent Examples on the WebSophia Scorziello, Variety, 22 Sep. 2023
In the images, Teigen posed in a chic structured silver and blue dress by designer Georges Hobeika.
—Topher Gauk-Roger, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023
Black-and-white photographs of Tupac Shakur, Eazy-E, and Snoop Dogg by West Coast hip-hop photographer Mike Miller are situated with relaxed, at-home images of Dr. Dre and concert images by Compton photographer 100kdai.
—Carren Jao, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Tennessee, home of country music, was one of the first states to grant a deceased person’s estate the rights to their image.
—Emilia David, The Verge, 21 Sep. 2023
Harry Styles Shows Off His Tattoos on Yacht Trip – Including ‘Olivia’ Ink on His Leg
The next image featured Wilde showing off her new gold aviator glasses.
—Nikki Dobrin, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023
The green-and-gold train in the video appeared to match images released on Monday by the Korean Central News Agency, North Korea's state-run media.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 12 Sep. 2023
The image was taken as Bush and his wife, Laura, attended a dinner with Putin and his then-wife, Lyudmila, in 2006, during a Group of Eight summit.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023
One image, titled November 1977, shows a woman smiling while kneeling on what appears to be a mattress, surrounded by drawings of flowers.
—Cassandra Pintro, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2023
Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Sep. 2023
Other telescopes have imaged HH 211 before, but only given us a relatively fuzzy image.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 14 Sep. 2023
Minasian suggested the Angels were proactive while trying to protect Ohtani’s health, offering to do imaging exams after Ohtani reported a finger cramp on Aug. 3.
—Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2023
Stark images from overnight show streets turned into rivers, buildings partially collapsed, and gaping sinkholes in streets making some roads impassable.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023
The space agency's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter imaged a new crater on the Moon's surface last week that had not been there before, leading NASA to conclude that the location is likely the impact site of Luna-25.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
But in the 1990s technology able to image our Wolf-Rayet stars was tens of years and many millions of dollars in the future.
—Peter Tuthill, Scientific American, 15 Aug. 2023
Quarterly sales rose 33% to 2.96 trillion yen ($21 billion), as sales for the period grew in games and network services, the music business, financial services and imaging solutions.
—Yuri Kageyama, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2023
This new study used some of the advances in imaging techniques that have emerged in the almost three decades since the stick’s discovery—micro-CT scanning, 3D models, and 3D microscopy—to take a closer look.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 July 2023
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Noun
While Burns was not mentioned in the article, the photo appeared as the lead image which was said to have been taken at the Bohemian Grove during an all-men’s retreat in California.
—Sophia Scorziello, Variety, 22 Sep. 2023
In the images, Teigen posed in a chic structured silver and blue dress by designer Georges Hobeika.
—Topher Gauk-Roger, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023
Black-and-white photographs of Tupac Shakur, Eazy-E, and Snoop Dogg by West Coast hip-hop photographer Mike Miller are situated with relaxed, at-home images of Dr. Dre and concert images by Compton photographer 100kdai.
—Carren Jao, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Tennessee, home of country music, was one of the first states to grant a deceased person’s estate the rights to their image.
—Emilia David, The Verge, 21 Sep. 2023
Harry Styles Shows Off His Tattoos on Yacht Trip – Including ‘Olivia’ Ink on His Leg
The next image featured Wilde showing off her new gold aviator glasses.
—Nikki Dobrin, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023
The green-and-gold train in the video appeared to match images released on Monday by the Korean Central News Agency, North Korea's state-run media.
—Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 12 Sep. 2023
The image was taken as Bush and his wife, Laura, attended a dinner with Putin and his then-wife, Lyudmila, in 2006, during a Group of Eight summit.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023
One image, titled November 1977, shows a woman smiling while kneeling on what appears to be a mattress, surrounded by drawings of flowers.
—Cassandra Pintro, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2023
Verb
The winners of the communication prize imaged the brains of two people who scramble or reverse the order of phonemes, or the sounds that make up words, while talking.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Sep. 2023
Other telescopes have imaged HH 211 before, but only given us a relatively fuzzy image.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 14 Sep. 2023
Minasian suggested the Angels were proactive while trying to protect Ohtani’s health, offering to do imaging exams after Ohtani reported a finger cramp on Aug. 3.
—Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2023
Stark images from overnight show streets turned into rivers, buildings partially collapsed, and gaping sinkholes in streets making some roads impassable.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023
The space agency's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter imaged a new crater on the Moon's surface last week that had not been there before, leading NASA to conclude that the location is likely the impact site of Luna-25.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
But in the 1990s technology able to image our Wolf-Rayet stars was tens of years and many millions of dollars in the future.
—Peter Tuthill, Scientific American, 15 Aug. 2023
Quarterly sales rose 33% to 2.96 trillion yen ($21 billion), as sales for the period grew in games and network services, the music business, financial services and imaging solutions.
—Yuri Kageyama, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2023
This new study used some of the advances in imaging techniques that have emerged in the almost three decades since the stick’s discovery—micro-CT scanning, 3D models, and 3D microscopy—to take a closer look.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'image.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, "effigy, figure, mental impression of something observed, reflection, resemblance," borrowed from Anglo-French, shortened from imagene, borrowed from Latin imāgin-, imāgō "representation, reflection, apparition, semblance, copy, visible form," from imā- (probably the stem of an otherwise unattested verb *imārī with the same base as imitārī "to follow as a pattern, copy") + -gin-, -gō, denominal or deverbal noun suffix — more at imitate
Verb
Middle English imagen, in part derivative of image image entry 1, in part borrowed from Middle French ymagier "to imagine," derivative of image
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of image was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing image
Dictionary Entries Near image
Cite this Entry
“Image.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/image. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
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Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on image
Nglish: Translation of image for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of image for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about image
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