portrayal

noun

pȯr-ˈtrā(-ə)l How to pronounce portrayal (audio)
Definition of portrayalnext
as in depiction
a vivid representation in words of someone or something his novel presents a moving portrayal of a woman searching for personal fulfillment and happiness

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of portrayal Farrelly was on hand to introduce the movie and shouted out his star, newcomer Anthony Ippolito, who has already earned praise for his portrayal of Stallone. — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 His portrayal of the various characters’ psychologies also feels more modern. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 Others feel a disconnect between Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Zuckerberg in The Social Network and Strong’s in Reckoning. — Andrew McGowan, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026 His character had the same condition as Mitte, who received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award — given in honor of Russell, the first actor with a disability to win an Oscar — in 2013 for the portrayal. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for portrayal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayal
  1. depiction
  2. description
  3. portrait
  4. picture
Noun
  • Chen initially resisted the rainbow-like chromatic aberration familiar from other screen depictions of superpowers.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The painting will be displayed alongside an ancient relief borrowed from the National Roman Museum, reportedly introduced to Rembrandt through a reproduction, that inspired his depiction of Bathsheba attended to by a footmaid.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of depiction
Noun
  • There’s a lot of character packed into that description — a complicated combination of ego, insecurity, cynicism, and self-justification.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But that description barely scratches the surface, Chris Joyner reports.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of description
Noun
  • The orchestra paints a colorful musical portrait for the choreography.
    — Libby Smith, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Around the same time, Rivera painted a full-body portrait of Pan dancing, and Pan hung the painting in the parlor of his house.
    — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of portrait
Noun
  • In my tests, with the lower-brightness Cinema mode, the UHZ36 was easily bright enough to deliver a suitably bright picture for both SDR and HDR material on my 90-inch screen in a dark room.
    — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 18 Oct. 2026
  • That ended Notre Dame's 16-game winning streak and is one of several outcomes that are going to shake up the rankings and CFP picture in a big, big way.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of picture

Browse Nearby Words

portray
portrayal
portrayals
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Cite this Entry

“Portrayal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayal. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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