PORTRAYAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does portrayal mean? 

• PORTRAYAL (noun)
  The noun PORTRAYAL has 5 senses:

1. a word picture of a person's appearance and character

2. acting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and action and gesture

3. a representation by picture or portraiture

4. any likeness of a person, in any medium

5. representation by drawing or painting etc

  Familiarity information: PORTRAYAL used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PORTRAYAL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A word picture of a person's appearance and character

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

portrait; portraiture; portrayal

Hypernyms ("portrayal" is a kind of...):

characterisation; characterization; delineation; depiction; picture; word-painting; word picture (a graphic or vivid verbal description)

Derivation:

portray (portray in words)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Acting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and action and gesture

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

characterization; enactment; personation; portrayal

Hypernyms ("portrayal" is a kind of...):

acting; performing; playacting; playing (the performance of a part or role in a drama)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "portrayal"):

impression (an impressionistic portrayal of a person)

character; part; persona; role; theatrical role (an actor's portrayal of someone in a play)

Derivation:

portray (assume or act the character of)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A representation by picture or portraiture

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

depicting; depiction; portrayal; portraying

Hypernyms ("portrayal" is a kind of...):

representational process (any basic cognitive process in which some entity comes to stand for or represent something else)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "portrayal"):

mirror (a faithful depiction or reflection)

Derivation:

portray (make a portrait of)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Any likeness of a person, in any medium

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

portrait; portrayal

Context example:

the photographer made excellent portraits

Hypernyms ("portrayal" is a kind of...):

likeness; semblance (picture consisting of a graphic image of a person or thing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "portrayal"):

half-length (a portrait showing the body from only the waist up)

self-portrait (a portrait of yourself created by yourself)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Representation by drawing or painting etc

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

delineation; depiction; portrayal

Hypernyms ("portrayal" is a kind of...):

pictorial representation; picturing (visual representation as by photography or painting)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "portrayal"):

portraiture (the activity of making portraits)

Derivation:

portray (represent abstractly, for example in a painting, drawing, or sculpture)

 Context examples 

This system provides a three-dimensional portrayal of the heart and uses mathematical and fixed coefficients for each lead.

(Lead Placement EASI Dower Transformation, NCI Thesaurus)

Nor would you, or, rather, should you, accept the ravings and writhings and agonized contortions of those two lunatics to-night as a convincing portrayal of love.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)