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
Paul Grein, Billboard, 16 Feb. 2025
Conclusion Guy Bisson’s analysis paints a picture of a film industry adapting to a new normal.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 16 Feb. 2025
Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
Elon Musk speaks next to President Donald Trump, not pictured, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 11, 2025.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 12 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for picture 
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show current usage.
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Noun
And consider this: Only two of the last 10 BAFTA winners for best film went on to win the Oscar for best picture — Nomadland in 2021 and Oppenheimer in 2024.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 16 Feb. 2025
Conclusion Guy Bisson’s analysis paints a picture of a film industry adapting to a new normal.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 16 Feb. 2025
Verb
The whole world pictures the Lakers rollin’ right now.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
Elon Musk speaks next to President Donald Trump, not pictured, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 11, 2025.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 12 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 20 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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