portrait
1 of 2noun
por·trait ˈpȯr-trət 
-ˌtrāt
1
: picture
especially : a pictorial representation of a person usually showing the face
2
: a sculptured figure : bust
3
: a graphic portrayal in words
portrait
2 of 2adjective
: of, relating to, or being a rectangular document having the vertical dimension longer than the horizontal dimension
switching from landscape to portrait mode
compare landscape sense 3 
Synonyms
Noun
- definition
- delineation
- depiction
- description
- picture
- portraiture
- portrayal
- rendering
- sketch
- vignette
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun The queen posed for her portrait. The book presents a portrait of life in a small town.
Recent Examples on the Web
Richard Galant, CNN, 11 Sep. 2022 Philip and Elizabeth pose for a portrait with six-month-old Charles. Staff Author Published, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 Rolf Tietgens portrait of Patricia Highsmith in 1942. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 John Howard Sanden's official White House portrait of President George W. Bush. CBS News, 2 Sep. 2022 Oksana Omel embraces her mother Nina Borkovska for a portrait on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. Daedan Olander, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Aug. 2022 Roach charges around $350 for a small portrait of a single pet. Susan Degrane, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2022 This family portrait by the great 17th-century Dutch painter Frans Hals (1582/1583–1666) all but cries out for a 21st-century caption. Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2022 Oh, and of course, a portrait of the band on the wall. Dana Givens, Robb Report, 26 July 2022 Alissa J. Rubin, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2020 Yet for all the darkness, there’s a welcome and important dose of levity too, from a hilarious video of a beauty products fair by María Luisa Bemberg to Regina Vater’s playful, costumed self-portrait photographs. New York Times, 4 July 2018 Arneson sets the tone through a ceramic self-portrait head from 1973, wall-mounted near the entry. Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 3 July 2018 In portrait orientation, the left side of the bottom bar only has space for about three to four app icons. Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, 23 June 2018 And even though the demand for photographers in traditional media has declined, there’s still a high-demand for commercial and portrait photographers. Jenny Knizner, USA TODAY, 4 June 2018 Dorothea Tanning’s self-portrait Birthday (1942) shows her bare-breasted, standing with a small winged monster with her back to a house full of open doors. Thomas Hine, Philly.com, 12 Apr. 2018 The heads presage a self-portrait print from 1990, displayed nearby, as well as the soft fabric figurative sculptures that Bourgeois took up in the late ’90s. Roberta Smith, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2017 Portrait sessions for families whose memories were stolen by the wind. Southern Living, 1 May 2017 See More
Noun
Obama joked that McCurdy would not even reduce the size of his ears for the portrait. Richard Galant, CNN, 11 Sep. 2022 Philip and Elizabeth pose for a portrait with six-month-old Charles. Staff Author Published, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 Rolf Tietgens portrait of Patricia Highsmith in 1942. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 John Howard Sanden's official White House portrait of President George W. Bush. CBS News, 2 Sep. 2022 Oksana Omel embraces her mother Nina Borkovska for a portrait on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. Daedan Olander, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Aug. 2022 Roach charges around $350 for a small portrait of a single pet. Susan Degrane, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2022 This family portrait by the great 17th-century Dutch painter Frans Hals (1582/1583–1666) all but cries out for a 21st-century caption. Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2022 Oh, and of course, a portrait of the band on the wall. Dana Givens, Robb Report, 26 July 2022 Adjective
The small park behind Tahrir Square has been divided by tents, one of which has become a steadily expanding portrait gallery with photographs of those who have been killed by the security forces. Alissa J. Rubin, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2020 Yet for all the darkness, there’s a welcome and important dose of levity too, from a hilarious video of a beauty products fair by María Luisa Bemberg to Regina Vater’s playful, costumed self-portrait photographs. New York Times, 4 July 2018 Arneson sets the tone through a ceramic self-portrait head from 1973, wall-mounted near the entry. Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 3 July 2018 In portrait orientation, the left side of the bottom bar only has space for about three to four app icons. Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, 23 June 2018 And even though the demand for photographers in traditional media has declined, there’s still a high-demand for commercial and portrait photographers. Jenny Knizner, USA TODAY, 4 June 2018 Dorothea Tanning’s self-portrait Birthday (1942) shows her bare-breasted, standing with a small winged monster with her back to a house full of open doors. Thomas Hine, Philly.com, 12 Apr. 2018 The heads presage a self-portrait print from 1990, displayed nearby, as well as the soft fabric figurative sculptures that Bourgeois took up in the late ’90s. Roberta Smith, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2017 Portrait sessions for families whose memories were stolen by the wind. Southern Living, 1 May 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle French, from past participle of portraire
First Known Use
Noun
1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
1975, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing portrait
Kids Definition
portrait
noun
por·trait ˈpȯr-trət
-ˌtrāt
: a picture of a person usually showing the face
portraits
noun
as in portrayals
a vivid representation in words of someone or something his account created in the jurors' heads a detailed portrait of a lonely old man Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- portrayals
- pictures
- depictions
- descriptions
- sketches
- portraitures
- vignettes
- renderings
- tales
- definitions
- accounts
- narratives
- illustrations
- stories
- delineations
- anecdotes
- chronicles
- reports
- yarns
- exemplifications
- demonstrations
- explanations
- anecdota
- expositions
- explications
- elucidations
- clarifications