Meanings
plural portraitures
- countableuncountableA portrait; a likeness; a painted resemblance; hence, that which is copied from some example or model.
For, by the image of my cause, I see / The portraiture of his.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii] - countableuncountableThe art of painting or photographing portraits.
- countableuncountableA portrait (or portraits considered as a group).
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna word picture of a person's appearance and character
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Anglo-Normanpurtraiture
- Old Frenchportraiture
- Middle Englishportraiture
- Englishportraiture
From Middle English portraiture, portrature, purtraiture, pourtreture, from Old French portraiture, pourtraiture and Anglo-Norman purtraiture.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Anglo-Norman
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
portraiture. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/portraiture
“portraiture.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/portraiture. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “portraiture,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/portraiture.
Source: portraiture on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.