What does "portrait" mean?
A painting or other picture of a person, especially the head and shoulders.
Portrait
/ˈpɔːtɹeɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A painting or other picture of a person, especially the head and shoulders.
- Grammar: portrait is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: portrayal, account, aerial photograph, beefcake.
- Useful contrasts: caricature, horizontal flip tool, landscape.
- Usage evidence: Every man's work, whether it be literature or music or a picture or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of himself.
How to use "portrait"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "portrait" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "portrait" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "portrait" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "portrait" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "portrait" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "portrayal" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "portrait", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A painting or other picture of a person, especially the head and shoulders. countable
"In portraits, the grace, and, we may add, the likeness, consists more in the general air than in the exact similitude of every feature."
- 2 any likeness of a person, in any medium wordnet
- 3 An accurate depiction of a person, a mood, etc. countable, figuratively
"The author painted a good portrait of urban life in New York in his latest book."
- 4 a word picture of a person's appearance and character wordnet
- 5 A print orientation where the vertical sides are longer than the horizontal sides. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To portray; to draw. obsolete
"But all as in most exquisite pictures, they vse to blaze and portrait, not only the daintie lineaments or beautie, but also round about it to shadowe the rude thickets and craggy clifts"
Adjective
- 1 Representing the actual features of an individual; not ideal. not-comparable
"a portrait bust; a portrait statue"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Every man's work, whether it be literature or music or a picture or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of himself."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "portrait"?
Common synonyms include: portrayal, account, aerial photograph, beefcake, black-and-white photograph, cameo.
How do you use "portrait" in a sentence?
Every man's work, whether it be literature or music or a picture or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of himself.
How do you pronounce "portrait"?
Pronounced /ˈpɔːtɹeɪt/.
Etymology
From Middle French portraict, pourtraict, nominal use of the past participle of portraire (“portray”), from Latin prōtrahō (< prō- + trahō). Compare typologically English drawing.