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
Matt Minton, Variety, 4 Feb. 2025
The heartwarming story—and amazing pictures—quickly gained traction online.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025
Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
President Donald Trump speaks at a joint news conference with Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May (not pictured) in London, Britain, June 4, 2019.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for picture 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
His pictures speak in a cinematic voice that is uniquely and completely his own.
—Matt Minton, Variety, 4 Feb. 2025
The heartwarming story—and amazing pictures—quickly gained traction online.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025
Verb
Since confirming her romance with Patrick’s teammate Kelce, 35, in October 2023, Swift has been pictured with Brittany on multiple occasions.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
President Donald Trump speaks at a joint news conference with Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May (not pictured) in London, Britain, June 4, 2019.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Feb. 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 8 Feb. 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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