imagery

noun

im·​ag·​ery ˈi-mij-rē How to pronounce imagery (audio)
-mi-jə-
plural imageries
1
a
: pictures produced by an imaging system
imagery from the satellite
b
: the product of image makers : images
A host of computer animation tools … have made it easier to create, manipulate, and multiply imagery.—Dike Blair et al.
also : the art of making images
2
: figurative language
a poem with biblical imagery
3
: mental images
especially : the products of imagination

Examples of imagery in a Sentence

The book contains a great deal of sexual imagery. The movie was full of biblical imagery.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There was no aisle in the traditional Western sense, or any nod whatsoever to the imagery most of the world associates, by cultural default, with a celebrity wedding. — Rebecca Suhrawardi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 For artists with strong enough fandom, imagery, and mythology, there are all kinds of opportunities sitting somewhere between concerts, museums, retail, and fan experiences. — Jesse Kirshbaum, SPIN, 28 Aug. 2026 Angus Young has repeated in interviews over the years that all this imagery and lyrical content about hell and the devil was pure tongue-in-cheek theatrics and nothing more. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 To dehumanize Jews, invoke Goebbels and Nazi imagery, tell Jews to ‘go back to Poland,’ and describe a swastika painted outside a Jewish family’s home as an appropriate symbol for ‘zionazis’ is not criticism of Israel. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for imagery

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ymagerie "images portrayed in sculpture, painting, etc.," borrowed from Anglo-French, from ymage, image image entry 1 + -erie -ery

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of imagery was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing imagery

Browse Nearby Words

imager
imagery
image slicer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Imagery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imagery. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

imagery

noun
im·​ag·​ery ˈim-ij-(ə-)rē How to pronounce imagery (audio)
plural imageries
1
: images that can be seen or that are imagined
2
: language that suggests how someone or something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes

Medical Definition

imagery

noun
im·​ag·​ery ˈim-ij-(ə-)rē How to pronounce imagery (audio)
plural imageries
: mental images
eidetic imagery
especially : the products of imagination
psychotic imagery

More from Merriam-Webster on imagery

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about imagery

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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