image

im·age
I1M3A1G2E1
/ˈɪm.ɪd͡ʒ//ˈɪm.əd͡ʒ/New Zealand/ˈɘm.ɘd͡ʒ/India/ɪ.meːd͡ʒ/

noun

A visual or other representation of the external form of something in art.

“The Bible forbids the worship of graven images.”

Very commonScrabble 8

Meanings

nounimage (plural images)

plural images

  1. A visual or other representation of the external form of something in art.

    The Bible forbids the worship of graven images.

    3 more examples

    The Citizens in their rage, imagining that euery poſt in the Churche had bin one of yᵉ Souldyers, ſhot habbe or nabbe at randon^([sic – meaning random]) uppe to the Roode lofte, and to the Chancell, leauing ſome of theyr arrowes ſticking in the Images.

    1577, Raphaell Holinshed; Richarde Stanyhurst [i.e., Richard Stanihurst], “[The Historie of Irelande […].] The Thirde Booke of the Historie of Ireland, Comprising the Raigne of Henry the Eyght: ….”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Hunne, →OCLC, pages 77–78, column 2

    Drawings and pictures are more than mere ornaments in scientific discourse. Blackboard sketches, geological maps, diagrams of molecular structure, astronomical photographs, MRI images, the many varieties of statistical charts and graphs: These pictorial devices are indispensable tools for presenting evidence, for explaining a theory, for telling a story.

    2012 March, Brian Hayes, “Pixels or Perish”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 19 Feb 2013, page 106

    They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail. […] Although classic science fiction films might wish you to believe otherwise, most insect eyes do not form a complete image in each facet.

    2013 July-August, Fenella Saunders, “Tiny Lenses See the Big Picture”, in American Scientist, archived from the original on 13 Aug 2014
    1. A file on a computer containing a single frame; an image file.
  2. A mental picture of something not real or not present.
    1 more example

    Think of banking today and the image is of grey-suited men in towering skyscrapers. Its future, however, is being shaped in converted warehouses and funky offices in San Francisco, New York and London, where bright young things in jeans and T-shirts huddle around laptops, sipping lattes or munching on free food.

    2013 August 3, “Revenge of the nerds”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847, archived from the original on 11 Mar 2023

    Synonyms: idea

  3. A statue or idol.
  4. computingA file that contains all information needed to produce a live working copy. (See disk image and image copy.)

    Most game console emulators do not come with any ROM images for copyright reasons.

  5. A characteristic of a person, group or company etc., style, manner of dress, how one is or wishes to be perceived by others.
  6. mathematicsThe value a function maps some argument to.

    The number 6 is the image of 3 under f that is defined as f(x) = 2x.

  7. mathematicsThe subset of the codomain of a function comprising those elements that are the image of some element of its domain.

    The image of this step function is the set of integers.

    Synonyms: range

  8. broadcastingA form of interference: a weaker "copy" of a strong signal that occurs at a different frequency.
  9. obsoleteShow; appearance; cast.

    The face of things a frightful image bears.

    1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC
  10. engineeringThe collection of focus points of light rays coming from a given object.
verbimage (third-person singular simple present images, present participle imaging, simple past and past participle imaged)

present singular third person images · participle present imaging · participle past imaged · past imaged

  1. transitiveTo represent by an image or symbol; to portray.

    […] his behaviour was, as I had imaged to myself, solemnly devout.

    1791, James Boswell, “(please specify the year)”, in James Boswell, editor, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. […], volume I, London: […] Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, […], →OCLC, page 393
    4 more examples

    1718, Alexander Pope, The Iliad of Homer, London: Bernard Lintot, Volume IV, Observations on the Fifteenth Book, Note 14 on verse 252, p. 215, This Representation of the Terrors which must have attended the Conflict of two such mighty Powers as Jupiter and Neptune, whereby the Elements had been mix’d in Confusion, and the whole Frame of Nature endangered, is imaged in these few Lines with a Nobleness suitable to the Occasion.

    […] he repeated, with such tremulous feeling, the various lines which imaged a broken heart, or a mind destroyed by wretchedness, and looked so entirely as if he meant to be understood, that she ventured to hope he did not always read only poetry, and to say, that she thought it was the misfortune of poetry to be seldom safely enjoyed by those who enjoyed it completely […]

    1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter XI, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=III or IV), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC

    [The road] straggled onward into the mystery of a primeval forest. This hemmed it in so narrowly, and stood so black and dense on either side, and disclosed such imperfect glimpses of the sky above, that, to Hester’s mind, it imaged not amiss the moral wilderness in which she had so long been wandering.

    1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, chapter 16, in The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC, page 222

    For example, in one use of content analysis, U.S. researchers Victoria Holden, William Holden, and Gary Davis (1997) examined the growing controversy over the racial imaging of indigenous peoples symbolized in sports team nicknames […]

    2000, Mary Ann Schwartz, BarBara Marliene Scott, Madine M. L. Vanderplaat, Sociology: Making Sense of the Social World, page 51
  2. transitiveTo reflect, mirror.

    Sorrow was dead indeed in her, but peace and perfect happiness were born; imaged in her tranquil beauty and profound repose.

    1840 April – 1841 November, Charles Dickens, “Chapter the Seventy-first”, in The Old Curiosity Shop. A Tale. […], volume II, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1841, →OCLC, page 210
    2 more examples

    See’st thou yon river, whose translucent wave, Forth issuing from the darkness, windeth through The argent streets o’ th’ City, imaging The soft inversion of her tremulous Domes,

    1829, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “Timbuctoo”, in The Poems of Alfred Lord Tennyson, volume I, London: J.M. Dent & Sons, published 1906, page 10

    […]we look into a pair of eyes deep as our own, imaging our own, but all unconscious of us; to whom we, for the time, are become as spirits and invisible!

    1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “2, “St. Edmundsbury,””, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk), page 43
  3. transitiveTo create an image of.

    The single-imaging optic of the mammalian eye offers some distinct visual advantages. Such lenses can take in photons from a wide range of angles, increasing light sensitivity. They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail.

    2013 July-August, Fenella Saunders, “Tiny Lenses See the Big Picture”, in American Scientist, archived from the original on 13 Aug 2014
    1 more example

    He added, in an email to CNN, that “the collection of increasingly large and well curated medical datasets has enabled AI tools to predict genetic mutations from imaging phenotypes reducing the burden of healthcare systems and improving the way we care for patients.” Phenotypes are observable characteristics.

    2019 January 8, Nina Avramova, “AI technology can identify genetic diseases by looking at your face, study says”, in CNN, archived from the original on 27 Nov 2022
  4. transitivecomputingTo create a complete backup copy of a file system or other entity.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA mental picture of something not real or not present.

Similar

nounThe subset of the codomain of a function comprising those elements that are the image of some element of its domain.

Similar

representation

Similar

something mapped to

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nounan iconic mental representation

Broader
representationmental representationinternal representation

noun(Jungian psychology) a personal facade that one presents to the world

Similar
Broader
appearancevisual aspect

nouna visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

nouna standard or typical example

nounlanguage used in a figurative or nonliteral sense

nounsomeone who closely resembles a famous person (especially an actor)

noun(mathematics) the set of values of the dependent variable for which a function is defined

Similar
rangerange of a function
Broader

nouna representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture)

verbimagine; conceive of; see in one's mind

Broader
imagineconceive ofideate

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eym-
  2. Latinimāgō“a copy, likeness, image”
  3. Old Frenchimage
  4. Middle Englishymage
  5. Englishimage

From Middle English ymage, borrowed from Old French image, from Latin imāgō (“a copy, likeness, image”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym-; the same PIE root is the source of imitari (“to copy, imitate”); see imitate. Doublet of imago.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek εἰκών
  • εἰκών (eikṓn)graphical representation
Arabic صُورَة, اِنْطِبَاع
  • صُورَة (ṣūra)mental picture
  • اِنْطِبَاع (inṭibāʕ)characteristic as perceived by others
  • سُمْعَة (sumʕa)characteristic as perceived by others
  • صُورَة (ṣūra)graphical representation
Bengali ছবি
  • ছবি (chobi)graphical representation
Bulgarian предста́ва, о́браз
  • предста́ва (predstáva)mental picture
  • о́браз (óbraz)mental picture
  • изображе́ние (izobražénie)computing: file
  • и́мидж (ímidž)characteristic as perceived by others
  • о́браз (óbraz)graphical representation
  • изображе́ние (izobražénie)graphical representation
  • о́браз (óbraz)math: something mapped to by a function
  • изобразявам (izobrazjavam)to represent symbolically
  • отразявам (otrazjavam)to reflect
Catalan imatge
  • imatgegraphical representation
Chinese Cantonese 圖片 /图片
  • 圖片 /图片 (tou⁴ pin³)graphical representation
Chinese Mandarin 意象, 圖景 /图景
  • 意象 (yìxiàng)mental picture
  • 圖景 /图景 (tújǐng)mental picture
  • 圖像 /图像 (túxiàng)mental picture
  • 圖片 /图片 (túpiàn)computing: file
  • 鏡像 /镜像 (jìngxiàng)computing: file
  • 映像 (yìngxiàng)computing: file
  • 印象 (yìnxiàng)characteristic as perceived by others
  • 形象 (xíngxiàng)characteristic as perceived by others
  • 形像 (xíngxiàng)characteristic as perceived by others
  • 圖片 /图片 (túpiàn)graphical representation
  • 像 (xiàng)math: something mapped to by a function
  • 反映 (fǎnyìng)to reflect
  • 成像 (chéngxiàng)to create an image of
Czech představa, image
  • představamental picture
  • imagecharacteristic as perceived by others
  • obrazgraphical representation
  • obrazmath: something mapped to by a function
Danish billede
  • billedegraphical representation
Dutch beeld, perceptie
  • beeldmental picture
  • perceptiemental picture
  • beeldkopiecomputing: file
  • beeldcharacteristic as perceived by others
  • imagocharacteristic as perceived by others
  • beeldgraphical representation
  • beeltenisgraphical representation
  • plaatjegraphical representation
Esperanto bildo
  • bildographical representation
Finnish kuva, mielikuva
  • kuvamental picture
  • mielikuvamental picture
  • vedoscomputing: file
  • näköistiedostocomputing: file
  • mielikuvacharacteristic as perceived by others
  • imagocharacteristic as perceived by others
  • kuvausjoukkomath: subset of codomain
  • kuvamath: subset of codomain
  • kuvagraphical representation
  • kuvausmath: something mapped to by a function
  • kuvatato represent symbolically
  • heijastaato reflect
  • kuvatato create an image of
  • kuvantaato create an image of
  • ottaa levykuvacomputing: to create a backup copy
French image
  • imagegraphical representation
German Bild, Image
  • Bildmental picture
  • Imagecomputing: file
  • Speicherabbildcomputing: file
  • Imagecharacteristic as perceived by others
  • Erscheinungsbildcharacteristic as perceived by others
  • Bildgraphical representation
  • Abbildgraphical representation
  • Bildmath: something mapped to by a function
  • reflektierento reflect
  • spiegelnto reflect
  • abbildento create an image of
  • erstellencomputing: to create a backup copy
Greek εικόνα, εικόνα
  • εικόνα (eikóna)mental picture
  • εικόνα (eikóna)computing: file
  • εικόνα (eikóna)characteristic as perceived by others
  • περιωπή (periopí)characteristic as perceived by others
  • εικόνα (eikóna)graphical representation
  • απεικόνιση (apeikónisi)graphical representation
  • απείκασμα (apeíkasma)graphical representation
  • πανομοιότυπο (panomoiótypo)graphical representation
Hebrew אִימֶג׳, תַּדְמִית
  • אִימֶג׳ (ímej)computing: file
  • תַּדְמִית (tadmít)characteristic as perceived by others
  • תְּמוּנָה (tmuná)math: subset of codomain
  • תְּמוּנָה (tmuná)graphical representation
Hindi छवि, चित्र
  • छवि (chavi)mental picture
  • चित्र (citra)characteristic as perceived by others
  • छवि (chavi)characteristic as perceived by others
  • चित्र (citra)graphical representation
  • तस्वीर (tasvīr)graphical representation
  • प्रतिबिम्ब (pratibimb)graphical representation
Hungarian kép, képzet
  • képmental picture
  • képzetmental picture
  • elképzelésmental picture
  • képcomputing: file
  • arculatcharacteristic as perceived by others
  • imázscharacteristic as perceived by others
  • képgraphical representation
Icelandic mynd, mynd
  • myndmental picture
  • myndgraphical representation
Indonesian gambaran, bayangan
  • gambaranmental picture
  • bayanganmental picture
  • gambargraphical representation
Irish íomhá, íomhá
  • íomhácomputing: file
  • íomhágraphical representation
  • íomhámath: something mapped to by a function
Italian immagine, immagine
  • immaginecomputing: file
  • immaginegraphical representation
Japanese 姿, 覚え
  • 姿 (sugata)mental picture
  • 覚え (oboe)mental picture
  • 心象 (shinshō)mental picture
  • イメージ (imēji)mental picture
  • 画像 (gazō)computing: file
  • 聞こえ (kikoe)characteristic as perceived by others
  • 印象 (inshō)characteristic as perceived by others
  • 感じcharacteristic as perceived by others
  • 形 (katachi)graphical representation
  • 姿 (sugata)graphical representation
  • 像 (zō)graphical representation
  • 肖像 (shōzō)graphical representation
Korean 심상, 화상
  • 심상 (simsang)mental picture
  • 화상 (hwasang)computing: file
  • 인상 (insang)characteristic as perceived by others
  • 이미지 (imiji)characteristic as perceived by others
  • 상 (sang)graphical representation
  • 영상 (yeongsang)graphical representation
  • 이미지 (imiji)graphical representation
Latin imāgō
  • imāgōgraphical representation
Latvian attēls
  • attēlsgraphical representation
Lithuanian įvaizdis
  • įvaizdischaracteristic as perceived by others
Māori atahanga, mātātuhi
  • atahangagraphical representation
  • mātātuhigraphical representation
Norwegian Bokmål bilde
  • bildegraphical representation
Persian انگاره
  • انگاره (engāre)graphical representation
Polish obraz, obraz
  • obrazmental picture
  • obrazcomputing: file
  • wizerunekcharacteristic as perceived by others
  • imagecharacteristic as perceived by others
  • obrazmath: subset of codomain
  • obrazgraphical representation
  • obrazmath: something mapped to by a function
Portuguese imagem, visão
  • imagemmental picture
  • visãomental picture
  • imagemcomputing: file
  • imagemcharacteristic as perceived by others
  • imagemgraphical representation
  • figuragraphical representation
  • fotografiagraphical representation
  • imagemmath: something mapped to by a function
Punjabi ਤਸਵੀਰ
  • ਤਸਵੀਰ (tasvīr)graphical representation
Romanian figură, imagine
  • figurămental picture
  • imaginecomputing: file
  • imaginecharacteristic as perceived by others
  • imaginemath: subset of codomain
  • imaginegraphical representation
  • pozăgraphical representation
Russian о́браз, о́блик
  • о́браз (óbraz)mental picture
  • о́блик (óblik)mental picture
  • изображе́ние (izobražénije)computing: file
  • о́браз (óbraz)computing: file
  • о́браз (óbraz)characteristic as perceived by others
  • о́блик (óblik)characteristic as perceived by others
  • и́мидж (ímidž)characteristic as perceived by others
  • о́браз (óbraz)graphical representation
  • изображе́ние (izobražénije)graphical representation
  • о́браз (óbraz)math: something mapped to by a function
Scottish Gaelic dealbh, dealbh
  • dealbhmental picture
  • dealbhgraphical representation
Slovak predstava, imidž
  • predstavamental picture
  • imidžcharacteristic as perceived by others
  • obrazgraphical representation
Spanish imagen, imagen
  • imagencharacteristic as perceived by others
  • imagengraphical representation
  • estampagraphical representation
Swahili sura
  • suragraphical representation
Swedish bild, image
  • bildmental picture
  • imagecharacteristic as perceived by others
  • bildgraphical representation
Tagalog laragway, hulagway
  • laragwaymental picture
  • hulagwaycomputing: file
  • imahengraphical representation
  • hulagwaygraphical representation
Thai ภาพลักษณ์, รูปภาพ
  • ภาพลักษณ์ (pâap-lák)characteristic as perceived by others
  • รูปภาพ (rûup-pâap)graphical representation
  • รูป (rûup)graphical representation
  • ภาพ (pâap)graphical representation
Turkish görüntü, görüntü
  • görüntümental picture
  • görüntücomputing: file
  • imajcharacteristic as perceived by others
  • resimgraphical representation
  • görüntü kümesimath: something mapped to by a function
  • yansımakto reflect
  • yansıtmakto reflect
  • resmini çekmekto create an image of
  • görüntülemekcomputing: to create a backup copy
Ukrainian о́браз, обли́ччя
  • о́браз (óbraz)mental picture
  • обли́ччя (oblýččja)mental picture
  • о́браз (óbraz)computing: file
  • о́браз (óbraz)characteristic as perceived by others
  • і́мідж (ímidž)characteristic as perceived by others
  • о́браз (óbraz)graphical representation
  • зобра́ження (zobrážennja)graphical representation
  • о́браз (óbraz)math: something mapped to by a function
Urdu تَصْوِیر
  • تَصْوِیر (tasvīr)graphical representation
Vietnamese ảnh
  • ảnhgraphical representation
Yiddish בילד
  • בילד (bild)graphical representation

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with image

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

image. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/image

MLA

“image.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/image. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “image,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/image.

Source: image on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.