portrait

A2 Topic:Photography & Images

US /ˈpɔɹtɹət/ UK /ˈpɔːtɹeɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #5779

Meanings

1

noun
A painting, drawing, or photograph of a person, especially the face and shoulders.

A portrait of the queen hung above the fireplace.
2

noun
A detailed description of a person or situation in words.

The novel paints a vivid portrait of city life.
3

noun
A page or image orientation that is taller than it is wide.

Print the document in portrait, not landscape.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a painting, drawing, or... portrayal

2 noun · a detailed description of a... portrayal

Opposites

landscape profile

Word family

Forms portraits

Derived forms autoportraitmicroportraitminiportraitphoto-portraitportraitgateportraitistportraitlikeportraitorself-portrait

Related forms portray trait

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

Simplified etymology

Portrait entered English in the mid-16th century and belongs to the word family derived from Latin trahere “draw.” Its underlying sense is that of something drawn.

Etymology

From Middle French portraict, pourtraict, nominal use of the past participle of portraire (“portray”), from Latin prōtrahō (< prō- + trahō). Compare typologically English drawing.

portraict Middle French prōtrahō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Photography & Images Art & Music

External links

# portrait

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɔɹtɹət/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɔːtɹeɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 5779

## Meanings
1. A painting, drawing, or photograph of a person, especially the face and shoulders.
2. A detailed description of a person or situation in words.
3. A page or image orientation that is taller than it is wide.

## Examples
- A portrait of the queen hung above the fireplace.
- The novel paints a vivid portrait of city life.
- Print the document in portrait, not landscape.

## Antonyms
- landscape
- profile

## Derived Forms
- autoportrait
- microportrait
- miniportrait
- photo-portrait
- portraitgate
- portraitist
- portraitlike
- portraitor
- self-portrait

## Related Forms
- portray
- trait

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: portraict
- Root: prōtrahō

## Etymology
From Middle French portraict, pourtraict, nominal use of the past participle of portraire (“portray”), from Latin prōtrahō (< prō- + trahō). Compare typologically English drawing.

## AI Etymology
Portrait comes from Middle French portraict, pourtraict, nominal use of the past participle of portraire (“portray”), from Latin prōtrahō (< prō- + trahō). Compare typologically English drawing. The historical chain includes portraict (Middle French), prōtrahō (Latin). In present-day English it covers a painting, drawing, or photograph of a person, especially the face and shoulders, a detailed description of a person or situation in words, and a page or image orientation that is taller than it is wide. The wider family includes derived forms such as autoportrait, microportrait, miniportrait, photo-portrait, portraitgate and related forms such as portray, trait.

## Topics
- Photography & Images
- Art & Music

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