portrayal
noun
por·tray·al
pȯr-ˈtrā(-ə)l 
pər-
1
: the act or process or an instance of portraying : representation
2
: portrait
Examples of portrayal in a Sentence
his novel presents a moving portrayal of a woman searching for personal fulfillment and happiness
Recent Examples on the Web
Cruz, the son of an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador who came to the U.S. in the 1970s, said he’s angered by the federal government’s portrayal that anyone without documents living in the United States is a criminal.
—
Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
With his tongue-in-cheek portrayal of himself, outlandish costumes (a wedding veil and a hair band adorned with chess pieces are among his more subtle accessories) and unabating love of drama, the Scottish multihyphenate has subverted the norms of TV host.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
Before audiences fell for Zellweger's portrayal of the quirky but lovable Jones, her messy love life entertained readers via Fielding's books, and even before then, her newspaper column in London’s Independent.
—Sharareh Drury, People.com, 12 June 2025
Glen continues to earn praise for his work in Silo and his portrayal of Ser Jorah Mormont in HBO’s Game of Thrones.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for portrayal
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
With his tongue-in-cheek portrayal of himself, outlandish costumes (a wedding veil and a hair band adorned with chess pieces are among his more subtle accessories) and unabating love of drama, the Scottish multihyphenate has subverted the norms of TV host.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
Before audiences fell for Zellweger's portrayal of the quirky but lovable Jones, her messy love life entertained readers via Fielding's books, and even before then, her newspaper column in London’s Independent.
—Sharareh Drury, People.com, 12 June 2025
Glen continues to earn praise for his work in Silo and his portrayal of Ser Jorah Mormont in HBO’s Game of Thrones.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for portrayal
Cite this Entry
“Portrayal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portrayal. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
portrayal
noun
por·tray·al
pōr-ˈtrā(-ə)l
pȯr-
1
: the act or process of portraying : representation
2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share