pictorial

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "pictorial" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is related to or expressed in pictures or visual images. Example: "The pictorial representation of the data made it easier to understand the trends."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

50 human-written examples

It ensures that large swaths of the voting population will flick on to the debates, see a pictorial representation of the same dull grey suits talking in soundbites and switch back to Britain's Got Talent, secure in the knowledge that, if Britain does indeed have talent, politics is carefully sealed from any hint of it.

The Guardian - Opinion

He prized the airbrush's "tremendous directness" and said that it enabled him to "project my visions directly onto the pictorial surface, freezing them immediately".

The Guardian - Film

Ruiz's intriguing meditation on the possibilities and limitations of the pictorial in the cinema is also a detective story with clues and a solution.

The Guardian - Film

Throughout "Sensation and Sensuality" we see prints of his works by dozens of artists next to paintings based on these prints: a fascinating pictorial version of Chinese whispers.

The Economist

It wants all countries to mandate large, grotesque pictorial warnings on cigarette packets.

The Economist

But SETILive will bring them into play.It will do so by feeding pictorial representations (known as waterfall plots) of data from these noisy chunks of the spectrum to its users in the hope that they will be able to filter out the noise and spot potentially interesting signals buried behind the radio clutter from Earth.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

10 human-written examples

Nevertheless, Mel and Grush continue to conceive of the image itself as being a two dimensional array of elements, just as the quasi-pictorial theory of Kosslyn does, and, indeed, in support of their models both Mel and Grush follow Kosslyn in appealing to evidence about the spatial properties of imagery and about the involvement of visual areas of the brain in imagery.

SEP

It is clearly Pylyshyn's opinion that there is no such notion, and that much of the superficial plausibility of quasi-pictorial theory depends upon an equivocation between the relatively well understood concept of a picture in the everyday sense, and the essentially non-pictorial notion of an array data structure (Pylyshyn, 1981, 2002a, 2003b).

SEP

We must, of course, look to neuroscience for an account of how quasi-pictorial imagery might actually be implemented, and that is what Kosslyn has been doing over the last couple of decades (e.g., 1988, 1994, 2005; Kosslyn, Thompson, & Ganis, 2006).

SEP

But even if it were a fact that retinotopically mapped areas of the brain are always active during visual imagery (which, as we have just seen, it is not), is that strong evidence in favor the quasi-pictorial theory?

SEP

Of course, there had previously been other suggestions for non-pictorial accounts of imagery, most notably the attentional theory of Ribot (1890, 1900), the motor theories of Dunlap (1914), Washburn (1916), and Wekker (1966), the behaviorist theory of Taylor (1973), and the enactive (or perceptual activity) theories of Hebb (1968), Hochberg (1968), and Sarbin & Juhasz (1970; Sarbin, 1972).

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "pictorial" when you want to emphasize the visual aspect of something, especially when it involves images or illustrations. For example, "The pictorial guide made assembling the furniture much easier."

Common error

Avoid using "pictorial" when you mean something is exactly as it appears. "Pictorial" implies a representation, not necessarily a direct, unaltered depiction. For example, don't say "That's a pictorial description of the event" if you mean it's a precise, verbatim account.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "pictorial" is as an adjective. It modifies nouns to indicate that something is related to, composed of, or illustrated by pictures. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's a standard and acceptable usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

53%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "pictorial" functions as an adjective describing something related to pictures or visual representation. Ludwig AI confirms that the use of "pictorial" is correct and usable in written English. It's commonly found in News & Media and Science contexts, suggesting a neutral register. When using "pictorial", ensure you're emphasizing the visual aspect of something, and avoid confusing it with terms that imply exactness or literalness. Alternatives include "visual" and "graphic", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

visual

Emphasizes the aspect of sight and seeing.

graphic

Highlights the detailed and vivid nature of the representation.

illustrated

Focuses on the presence of images or drawings.

representational

Indicates the act of depicting something.

figurative

Suggests the use of figures or images to represent something.

depictive

Emphasizes the action of portraying something.

scenic

Related to views of landscapes or natural environments.

descriptive

Focuses on providing a detailed account or portrayal.

vivid

Highlights the clarity and intensity of the image.

artistic

Relates to the creative and aesthetic aspects of the representation.

FAQs

How can I use "pictorial" in a sentence?

"Pictorial" is often used to describe something that is represented in images or pictures. For example, "The book contains a pictorial history of the city."

What's a good alternative to the word "pictorial"?

Depending on the context, you could use "visual", "graphic", or "illustrated" as alternatives to "pictorial".

Is it correct to use "pictorial" to describe a written description?

While "pictorial" primarily relates to images, it can be used metaphorically to describe a written description that is very vivid and creates a strong image in the mind. However, using a more precise term like "descriptive" might be better.

What's the difference between "pictorial" and "photographic"?

"Pictorial" is a broader term referring to anything related to pictures or visual representation, while "photographic" specifically refers to something related to photographs or the process of photography.