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# portrayal

noun (a portrayal, portrayals)

«portrayal» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. The way someone or something is shown or described in a picture, film, play or book: «a funny portrayal of a teacher». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/portrayal/#m1)
2. An actor's performance of a character: «his portrayal of the king». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/portrayal/#m2)
3. The act of describing something in a certain way, true or unfair. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/portrayal/#m3)

### In the lessons

In English and media lessons we judge a «portrayal»: is it fair, true, kind or one-sided? In everyday life reviews talk about an actor's portrayal. Phrases: «the portrayal of», «a realistic portrayal», «an unfair portrayal», «a moving portrayal».

### Examples

- Her portrayal of the Wicked Witch scared the little ones. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/portrayal/#x1)
- The book gives a true portrayal of life in a coal-mining town. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/portrayal/#x2)
- Some people think the film's portrayal of farmers is unfair. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/portrayal/#x3)
- We compared two portrayals of Robin Hood. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/portrayal/#x4)
- The painting is a portrayal of the queen as a young girl. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/portrayal/#x5)
- His portrayal of a nervous pupil made us laugh. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/portrayal/#x6)
- Old cartoons often had hurtful portrayals of other peoples. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/portrayal/#x7)

### Note

Countable: a portrayal, portrayals. Verb: portray (portray, portrays, portrayed). Do not confuse with «portrait», which is a picture of a person; a portrayal can be in words, film or acting too.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «portrayal» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/portrayal/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«portrayal» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/portrayal.html) on Mova free.