depiction

noun

plural depictions
Synonyms of depiction
: a representation in words or images of someone or something
The book is fascinating in its depiction of the country's early history.
The first part of the book … is a depiction of the nearly lost world of a North American hunter-gatherer community.Timothy Egan
The late Vermont artist Stephen Huneck made works that are instantly recognizable—bright, accessible, folky depictions of dogs enjoying themselves.James Heflin
By comparison with the depiction of domesticity in such 1950s staples as The Donna Reed Show and Ozzie and Harriet, the portrait of family life on The Dick Van Dyke Show, the emblematic sitcom of the early 1960s, seemed staggering in its sheer smartness and casual elegance.Bruce Bawer

Examples of depiction in a Sentence

the set piece of the novel is a depiction of the battle that makes readers feel like they were there
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The film’s depiction of the optimistic essence of community theater shines through in a way that feels good to be true. Cortlyn Kelly, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026 But unlike the Peter Farrelly film, By Any Means — which was directed by Elegance Bratton and written by Sascha Penn — isn’t interested in cloying depictions of interracial high jinks and bonding. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026 The Museum of Modern Art rejected her films because of their depictions of lesbian lovemaking, Hammer claimed in an archival recording included by O’Connor. Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Critics have long speculated that his depiction was satirical—that the first utopian literary work was, at least in part, dystopian. Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for depiction

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of depiction was in 1688

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Depiction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depiction. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster