portrait

portrait — noun

1. an image or carved figure made to show what one person looks like, often with sp

1.nounB2
Definition

an image or carved figure made to show what one person looks like, often with special attention to the face

Example

A young artist painted a portrait of Mrs. Lin in one afternoon.

a portrait of + person

The museum displayed a stone portrait of the king near the stairs.

portrait can be a carved figure

Common collocations
  • family portrait
  • self-portrait
  • paint a portrait
  • sit for a portrait
Synonyms
  • picture

    broader and not limited to people

  • photo

    used when the image was made with a camera

  • likeness

    more formal and stresses how closely the image matches the person

  • bust

    used only for a sculpted head and shoulders

Grammar Patterns

a portrait of + person

paint or draw a portrait

sit for a portrait

take a portrait

Usage Note

Usually followed by `of` plus the person shown. This sense covers painted, drawn, photographed, and sculpted likenesses; distinguish it from sense 2, where `portrait` means a full description.

Common Mistakes

I took a portrait from my grandparents.
I took a portrait of my grandparents.
Use `of` for the person shown in the image.

2. a full description that shows clearly what a person, place, or way of life is li

2.nounC1
Definition

a full description that shows clearly what a person, place, or way of life is like

Example

The film offers a harsh portrait of factory life in the 1980s.

portrait of + life

Her memoir gives a warm portrait of her father mending shoes at the kitchen table.

give a portrait of + quality

Common collocations
  • vivid portrait
  • portrait of city life
  • offer a portrait
  • form a portrait
Synonyms
  • portrayal

    slightly more formal and common in reviews

  • description

    the broad everyday word

  • account

    often suggests a report or explanation

  • study

    can suggest a deeper or more thoughtful treatment

Grammar Patterns

a portrait of + life or person

give or offer a portrait of + topic

form a portrait of + someone

Usage Note

Common after verbs such as `give`, `offer`, and `form`, and usually followed by `of`. Distinguish from sense 1, where you can literally look at the person's face or body.

Common Mistakes

The book is a portrait about village life.
The book is a portrait of village life.
This sense normally takes `of`, not `about`.

portrait — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Portrait is the best word when the subject is a person and the image is meant to show that person's face or character. Picture is broader and can show almost anything, from a mountain to a road sign. Photo is the normal choice when a camera made the image, while portrait can be a photo, painting, drawing, or even sculpture. Painting tells you the medium, not the subject, so a painting may be a portrait, but it may also show a boat or a field. Likeness is more formal and often appears when people talk about how closely the image matches the real person. You can take a family photo on the beach, but an artist paints a portrait of your grandfather.

picture ↗photo ↗painting ↗likenessportrait ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a portrait of someone or something

Prepositions

  • portrait of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Portrait came into English from French portrait. The French form goes back to a Latin verb meaning to draw out or show clearly. English first used the word for an artistic likeness of a person, and later extended it to detailed written or filmed accounts of a life, place, or period.