depiction
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a way of showing what someone or something is like in a painting, book, or movie.
a representation of something in a creative work, such as a painting, film, or piece of literature.
Simple“The book's depiction of life in the 1920s is very realistic.”
In context“Critics praised the film for its nuanced depiction of the complex relationship between the two main characters.”
UsageOften followed by the preposition 'of' to indicate the subject being represented.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the act of showing or describing something.
the process or act of depicting something through art or language. Uncountable in this sense.
Simple“The artist is famous for his accurate depiction of human movement.”
In context“The course focuses on the depiction of social class in nineteenth-century European literature.”
UsageCommonly used in academic contexts when discussing how subjects are treated in media or art.
“It took the lyric “in my field of paper flowers” and created a visual depiction of the song, with me laying in a field.”
“One of the most puzzling aspects of these ancient depictions is how they have managed to survive in such good condition for so long.”
From French dépiction, from Latin dēpictiō. By surface analysis, depict + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.