English → Latin
“depict” in Latin
dēpingōto depict, to paint, to portray, to represent by painting; to paint, to colourexpōnōto make conspicuous, to put something where everyone may see it: to expose, exhibit, display, set out; to set forth; to exprimōto squeeze out; to press (out); to express; to imitate or copydēscrībōto copy off or transcribe something from the original, write down, write out; to describe in painting or writing, draw, figūrōto form, fashion, shaperepraesentōto show, exhibit, display; to pay immediately or on the spot; to perform immediatelypingōto decorate, adorn, embellish; to paint, tint or colour; to portrayfingōto shape, fashion, form, knead (dough); to touch, touch gently, stroke, stroke gently, handle; to adorn, dress, arrangeeffingōto form, fashion; to represent, portray, express, depict; imitate, copy; to wipe out, wipe clean
The English word depict itself goes back to Latin pingō, through dēpictus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
depict
PROPR., depingere: coloribus reddere (to depict or represent by colors; to paint): to depict figures, coloribus figuras depingere; a face, effingere oris lineamenta. [Vid: To PAINT]: repraesentare (represent; also of statuaries, etc., Plin.): pingere (PROP.; and also of orators, etc.): fingere, effingere (of statuaries; also of orators, etc.).
FIG., dicendo effingere alicujus rei imaginem; exponere; exprimere (to depict or make visible, as it were, by words, exprimere, with the addition of oratione): adumbrare aliquid or speciemet formam alicujus rei (to depict, or represent with the proper lights and shades; of the painter and orator): describere (to depict or represent characteristically, χαρακτηριζειν). To depict a person’s character, alicujus vitam depingere; imaginem consuetudinis atque vitae alicujus exprimere [☞ not depingere aliquem].
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for depict?
- The usual Latin words for “depict” are dēpingō, expōnō, exprimō; also dēscrībō, figūrō, repraesentō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.