a word picture of a person's appearance and character
"After years of friendship, she could paint a vivid portrait of his kindness without ever seeing his face."
A painting or other picture of a person, especially the head and shoulders.
"She spent hours at the studio waiting for her portrait to be painted just above the mantelpiece."
In plain English: A portrait is a picture that shows someone's face and looks.
"She took a portrait of her grandmother for the family album."
Usage: Use "portrait" to refer specifically to an artistic representation of a person, such as a painting, photograph, or sculpture that focuses on their face and upper body. Do not use it to describe general scenes of landscapes or group gatherings unless the primary subject is clearly an individual likeness.
To portray; to draw.
"The artist spent hours sketching a detailed portrait of the old oak tree in the garden."
In plain English: To take a picture of someone's face to show what they look like.
"The artist will portrait the bride in her wedding dress."
Usage: Use "to portrait" as a verb only when referring to the specific artistic act of drawing or painting someone's likeness. In standard English, it is far more common and correct to use the verbs "portray," "depict," or simply "draw" instead.
Representing the actual features of an individual; not ideal.
"The photographer insisted on taking a raw portrait that captured every wrinkle and flaw, refusing to airbrush the subject's face for anyone else."
"He painted a portrait likeness of his grandmother that hung in the hallway."
Usage: Use "portraiture" only when referring to the art or act of creating portraits, not as a standalone adjective describing a person. To describe someone's likeness accurately without idealization, use the noun phrase "a portrait of" followed by the subject.
The word "portrait" comes from the Middle French portraict, which was originally a noun form meaning "to draw." It entered English to describe an image of a person, derived ultimately from the Latin verb for pulling something forward.