If you depict someone or something, you show what that person or thing is like—either in some kind of image (such as a drawing, painting, photograph, or movie), or with words.
What results from your efforts to depict that person or thing can be called a depiction. The noun depiction is included at this entry without a definition because its meaning can be easily understood from the definition of the verb—it's the act of, or an instance of, depicting something or someone—but some examples of depiction in a sentence might be helpful:
The depiction of the battle in the painting is not historically correct.
I think the novel is a good depiction of a typical modern American marriage.
Many were moved by the film's depictions of animals helping people.
The author's depiction of the practice as uncommon is problematic; it's done by millions of people throughout the world every day.
The essay is an honest depiction of life in the city.
The book is fascinating in its depiction of the country's early history.
The wall was painted with a large mural depicting famous scenes from American history. Several of the architect's most famous buildings will soon be depicted on postage stamps. The photograph depicts the two brothers standing in front of a store. Angels are usually depicted with wings. In the drawing, the magic cap was depicted as a soft, black hat. The movie depicts the life of early settlers. I like the way she depicts the characters in her novels. See More
Recent Examples on the WebStyles and Corrin depict the couple as two lonely people who find a deep affection and appreciation in each other, even if their relationship is not motivated by conventional passions.Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2022 While praising Gambrill’s leadership on one hand, cityhood proponents also depict her as unable to protect West Cobb from development due to the Democratic majority. Brian Eason, ajc, 24 Apr. 2022 Two recent novels depict modern labor as a hallucinogenic hall of mirrors. Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2022 Tourism Web sites depict it as a place far removed from the drug trade that has plagued so much of Mexico. Peter Canby, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2022 As a result, the memes depict an alternate version of Bush, one that might surprise older or straight fans. Michelle Santiago Cortés, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2021 Carved from dark, polished sandstone, both Krishna statues depict the god as an 8-year-old boy who heroically lifts a mountain to protect a village and its residents from the rainstorm of a vengeful god. Nora Mcgreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Nov. 2021 Though the bill was framed as a child-protection measure and a way to curb cyberbullying, activists depict it as an effort to limit free speech and silence criticism of the government.Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2021 McDonald’s detailed black-and-white drawings depict dry land, although sometimes buried in snow. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Latin depictus, past participle of depingere, from de- + pingere to paint — more at paint