Imagery
/ˈɪm.ɪdʒ.əri/noun
The use of vivid or figurative language to create mental pictures, or a collection of images.
Did you know?Imagery comes from the same Latin root as “image” and “imitation,” tied to the idea of making a likeness—language, in a sense, became a kind of controlled summoning.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
imāgō
“An image, likeness, portrait, or mental representation.”
Late Latin
Latin
imāginārius
“Pertaining to images or representation.”
Old French
Old French
imagier
“An image-maker or sculptor.”
Middle English
English
ymagerie
“An image, representation, or pictorial depiction.”
14th–15th Century
English
imagery
“The art or practice of making images; later, vivid descriptive language.”
Modern English
English
imagery
“Vivid language or mental pictures created by words or art.”