Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - portrayal

(portrayals) 1. An actor’s portrayal of a character in a play or film is the way that he or she plays the character. Mr Ying is well-known for his portrayal of a prison guard in the film ‘The Last Emperor’. N-COUNT: usu sing, usu poss N of n 2. An artist’s portrayal of something is a drawing, painting, or photograph of it. ...a moving portrayal of St John the Evangelist by Simone Martini. N-COUNT: usu N of n 3. The portrayal of something in a book or film is the act of describing it or showing it. This is a sensitive and often funny portrayal of a friendship between two 11-year-old boys. N-COUNT: usu sing, usu N of n 4. The portrayal of something in a book, film, or programme is the way that it is made to appear. The media persists in its portrayal of us as muggers, dope sellers and gangsters... N-COUNT: usu N of n