picture

1 of 2

noun

pic·​ture ˈpik-chər How to pronounce picture (audio)
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
c
pictures plural : movies
5
6
: situation
took a hard look at his financial picture

picture

2 of 2

verb

pictured; picturing ˈpik-chə-riŋ How to pronounce picture (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Since then, Google Maps has blurred its picture of Fuentes’ house. Bruna Horvath, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024 Once your account has been created, click your account picture (top left), then Edit profile. David Nield, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
Starbucks cups are pictured on a counter in Manhattan, New York, on Feb. 16, 2022. Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024 On the ground floor, the red cognac hues of the salon bar (pictured above) create a welcoming atmosphere to a modern space that narrates the story of the founder, curated by the house’s in-house historian, Isabelle Vignon. Kevin Rozario, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for picture 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of picture was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near picture

Cite this Entry

“Picture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picture. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

picture

1 of 2 noun
pic·​ture ˈpik-chər How to pronounce picture (audio)
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
picture adjective

picture

2 of 2 verb
pictured; picturing ˈpik-chə-riŋ How to pronounce picture (audio)
ˈpik-shriŋ
1
: to draw or paint a picture of : depict
2
: to describe vividly
3
: to form a mental image of : imagine

More from Merriam-Webster on picture

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