Meaning & use
depiction
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Meanings
nouncountable
A picture, statue, film or piece of writing that shows how someone or something looks or is.
Grammar: Usually followed by of: a depiction of a battle.
Patterns
- a depiction of something
- a depiction of someone as something
The mural is a vivid depiction of life in the harbor town.
Critics praised the film's honest depiction of grief.
Ancient tombs often contain a depiction of the dead person's daily life.
noununcountableformal
The act of showing or describing something in this way.
Grammar: Used without an article and often with in: accuracy in depiction.
Patterns
- depiction of something in art
Realistic depiction of light was her main goal as a painter.
The depiction of violence in games is widely debated.
Careful depiction helps readers picture the setting.
Word forms
| plural | depictions |
|---|
Common combinations
- accurate depiction
- The documentary gives an accurate depiction of rural life.
- negative depiction
- Many groups object to the negative depiction of teenagers.
- realistic depiction
- The novel offers a realistic depiction of hospital work.
- artistic depiction
- The museum holds an artistic depiction of the city in 1800.
- depiction of violence
- The rating reflects the depiction of violence in the film.
Synonyms and how they differ
- portrayal
- Portrayal often focuses on how a person or role is shown, while depiction is broader and can apply to scenes and objects.
- representation
- Representation is a wider, more abstract term that can also mean standing in for something.
- description
- Description uses words only, but depiction can use images, film or words.
- illustration
- An illustration is a picture that accompanies text, whereas a depiction might stand alone.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: depiction or depletion?
depiction vs depletion
Depletion means using up a supply, while depiction is about showing something.
Practice
Which preposition normally follows 'depiction' when you name the subject?
Choose one answer.
We say a depiction of something. The other prepositions do not form the usual pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “depiction”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.