picture

1 of 2

noun

pic·​ture ˈpik-chər 

1

: a design or representation made by various means (such as painting, drawing, or photography)

2

a

: a description so vivid or graphic as to suggest a mental image or give an accurate idea of something

the book gives a detailed picture of what is happening

b

: a mental image

3

: image, copy

he was the picture of his father

she was the very picture of health

4

a

: a transitory visible image or reproduction

b

: motion picture

c

pictures plural : movies

5

: tableau sense 2

6

: situation

took a hard look at his financial picture

picture

2 of 2

verb

pictured; picturing ˈpik-chə-riŋ 

ˈpik-shriŋ

transitive verb

1

: to form a mental image of : imagine

2

: to describe graphically in words

3

: to paint or draw a representation, image, or visual conception of : depict

also : illustrate

Synonyms

Noun

• icon
• ikon
• illustration
• image
• likeness

Verb

• depict
• image
• portray
• represent

Examples of picture in a Sentence

Noun

I hung the picture on the wall.

The book has a lot of pictures.

Draw a picture of your house.

The staff looked at the financial picture of the company.

The overall economic picture is improving.

Verb

I can still picture the house I grew up in.

I can't picture changing jobs at this point in my life.

Picture what it would be like if you didn't own a car.

Can you picture him as a teacher?

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Combine questionnaires and evidence packets with real-time security signals to get the full picture. —Aleksandr Yampolskiy, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Several team owners conceded problems with other post-grad teams but painted rosy pictures of their own. —Kenny Jacoby, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024

Verb

Some dogs were even pictured taking part in Christmas parades in Tennessee. —Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024

Paris, Nicole and Paris' sister Nicky Hilton were pictured hanging out while rocking some serious statement accessories. —Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin pictura, from pictus, past participle of pingere to paint — more at paint

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing picture

• a picture is worth a thousand words
• (as) pretty as a picture
• big picture
• B picture
• enter the picture
• enter the picture/scene
• get the picture
• in the picture
• keep someone in the picture
• motion picture
• moving picture
• out of the picture
• paint a rosy picture
• paint/draw a picture of
• picture book
• picture card
• picture frame
• picture hat
• picture-perfect
• picture-postcard
• picture puzzle
• picture tube
• picture window
• picture writing
• put someone in the picture
• the picture of
• the picture of health

Kids Definition

picture

1 of 2 noun

pic·​ture ˈpik-chər 

1

: a design or image made on a surface (as by painting, drawing, or photography)

2

a

: a clear description in words

the book gives us a picture of another way of life

b

: a mental image : idea

do you get the picture?

3

: a particular combination of circumstances : situation

an improvement of the economic picture

4

a

: an exact likeness : copy

b

: a perfect symbol of something : embodiment

the picture of health

5

a

: an image on a screen

b

: motion picture

picture adjective

picture

2 of 2 verb

pictured; picturing ˈpik-chə-riŋ 

ˈpik-shriŋ

1

: to draw or paint a picture of : depict

2

: to describe vividly

3

: to form a mental image of : imagine