depict

verb

de·​pict di-ˈpikt 

dē-

depicted; depicting; depicts

transitive verb

1

: to represent by or as if by a picture

a mural depicting a famous battle

2

: describe sense 1

the way the novelist depicts his female characters

depicter

di-ˈpik-tər 

dē-

noun

Did you know?

Depict and Depiction

If you depict someone or something, you show what that person or thing is like—either in some kind of image (such as a drawing, painting, photograph, or movie), or with words.

What results from your efforts to depict that person or thing can be called a depiction. The noun depiction is included at this entry without a definition because its meaning can be easily understood from the definition of the verb—it's the act of, or an instance of, depicting something or someone—but some examples of depiction in a sentence might be helpful:

The depiction of the battle in the painting is not historically correct.

I think the novel is a good depiction of a typical modern American marriage.

Many were moved by the film's depictions of animals helping people.

The author's depiction of the practice as uncommon is problematic; it's done by millions of people throughout the world every day.

The essay is an honest depiction of life in the city.

The book is fascinating in its depiction of the country's early history.

Synonyms

• delineate
• describe
• draw
• image
• limn
• paint
• picture
• portray
• render
• set out
• sketch

Examples of depict in a Sentence

The wall was painted with a large mural depicting famous scenes from American history.

Several of the architect's most famous buildings will soon be depicted on postage stamps.

The photograph depicts the two brothers standing in front of a store.

Angels are usually depicted with wings.

In the drawing, the magic cap was depicted as a soft, black hat.

The movie depicts the life of early settlers.

I like the way she depicts the characters in her novels.

Recent Examples on the Web

The movie depicts the life of Lombardy peasant families working on farms for the same landlord during the late 19th century, casting actual farmers and locals instead of professional actors. —Sandra Salibian, WWD, 13 Dec. 2024

Meanwhile, Father Time is often depicted holding his scythe, signifying that every moment is fleeting. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024

The image depicted a snail in a business suit, seemingly a reference to Gary the Snail from Spongebob Squarepants, a television show for children. —Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 13 Dec. 2024

Without many other examples to look to, these young women depicted their real-life shenanigans (with a little help from producers, of course) for an audience that didn’t just laugh at them but with them. —Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin depictus, past participle of depingere, from de- + pingere to paint — more at paint

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

depict

verb

de·​pict di-ˈpikt 

1

: to represent by a picture

2

: to describe in words

depiction

-ˈpik-shən 

noun