Depicture
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The act or result of depicturing something or someone. archaic
"The conception of a misdeed operating through several generations […] was a novel one at the time; this graphic depicture of the past at work upon the present has anticipated a great deal of the history and criticism of the following twenty-five years […]"
- 1 To make a picture or representation of. archaic, transitive
"The bed appointed for the prince to rest himselfe, was of blacke Ebonie enchased which Rubies, Diamons and Carbun[c]ls […] on which by degrees mans state from infancie to his olde age was plainly depictured,"
- 2 To represent in words. archaic, transitive
"The modern Fiction which depictures the son of Cytherea [i.e. Eros] with a bandage round his eyes, is not without a spiritual meaning. There is a sweet and holy Blindness in Christian LOVE […]"
- 3 To give visual evidence of (referring to a person's facial expression or appearance) archaic, transitive
"[…] he entered the church with a proud firm step, and with a countenance which depictured his inward triumph;"
- 4 To form a mental image of. archaic, transitive
"[…] I would depicture her, a foiled and wistful little wraith, very lonely in eternity […]"
Example
More examples"The bed appointed for the prince to rest himselfe, was of blacke Ebonie enchased which Rubies, Diamons and Carbun[c]ls […] on which by degrees mans state from infancie to his olde age was plainly depictured,"
Etymology
From de- + picture; formed under the influence of depict.
More for "depicture"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.