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
4
5
6
: situation
took a hard look at his financial picture
pictured; picturing
ˈpik-chə-riŋ 
ˈpik-shriŋ
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
Synonyms
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
Katcy Stephan, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
The Investigation Discovery documentary (streaming on Max) is a compilation of many claims made against Brown over the years, strung together to create a picture of a violent man whom the entertainment industry has granted a pass.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025
Kayla Grant, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025
His most expensive sale came on Jan. 17, when his 1999 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor rookie numbered to 25 with a PSA 8 grade and a population count of only one (pictured above) sold for $3,500.
—Larry Holder, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for picture 
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Popular on Variety Set against the backdrop of Vallejo, Calif., during the late 1980s, the film paints a vivid picture of a city in freefall, according to the official synopsis.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
The Investigation Discovery documentary (streaming on Max) is a compilation of many claims made against Brown over the years, strung together to create a picture of a violent man whom the entertainment industry has granted a pass.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
Elliotte smiled wide for the camera, while Bennett was pictured crying.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025
His most expensive sale came on Jan. 17, when his 1999 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor rookie numbered to 25 with a PSA 8 grade and a population count of only one (pictured above) sold for $3,500.
—Larry Holder, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for picture
Dictionary Entries Near picture
Cite this Entry
“Picture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picture. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
picture
1 of 2 noun
pic·ture
ˈpik-chər
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
b
picture
adjective
picture
2 of 2 verb
pictured; picturing
ˈpik-chə-riŋ
ˈpik-shriŋ
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