graphic

¹

[ graf-ik ]

adjective

1. giving a clear and effective picture; vivid:

   a graphic account of an earthquake.

   Synonyms: detailed, telling, striking

2. pertaining to the use of diagrams, graphs, mathematical curves, or the like; diagrammatic.
3. of, relating to, or expressed by writing:

   graphic symbols.

4. written, inscribed, or drawn.
5. depicted in a realistic or vivid manner:

   graphic sex and violence.

6. containing graphic descriptions:

   a graphic movie.

7. Geology. (of a rock) having a texture formed by the intergrowth of certain minerals so as to resemble written characters.
8. Mathematics. pertaining to the determination of values, solution of problems, etc., by direct measurement on diagrams instead of by ordinary calculations.
9. of or relating to the graphic arts.

noun

1. a product of the graphic arts, as a drawing or print.
2. a computer-generated image.

-graphic

²

1. a combination of -graph and -ic, forming adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -graph:

   telegraphic.

graphic

/ ˈɡræfɪk /

adjective

1. vividly or clearly described

   a graphic account of the disaster

2. sexually explicit
3. of or relating to writing or other inscribed representations

   graphic symbols

4. maths using, relating to, or determined by a graph

   a graphic representation of the figures

5. of or relating to the graphic arts
6. geology having or denoting a texture formed by intergrowth of the crystals to resemble writing

   graphic granite

Derived Forms

• ˈgraphicalness, noun
• ˈgraphically, adverb

Other Words From

• graphi·cal·ly adverb
• graphi·cal·ness graphic·ness noun
• non·graphic adjective
• non·graphi·cal adjective
• non·graphi·cal·ly adverb
• non·graphi·cal·ness noun
• un·graphic adjective
• un·graphi·cal adjective
• un·graphi·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of graphic¹

First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin graphicus “of painting or drawing,” from Greek graphikós “able to draw or paint,” equivalent to gráph(ein) “to draw, write” + -ikos -ic; cognate with carve

Word History and Origins

Origin of graphic¹

C17: from Latin graphicus, from Greek graphikos, from graphein to write; see carve

Synonym Study

See picturesque.

Example Sentences

Asides from his memoir, he has written for media outlets like The New York Times, leading African-American magazine Ebony and Ghana's state-owned Daily Graphic.

From BBC

In late 2016 Thames Valley police were contacted by the Oxford diocese, who disclosed a full copy of the Ruston report, which was compiled more than 30 years earlier and which spelt out in graphic detail the beatings administered by Smyth.

From BBC

And Mbuya’s personal favourite - jeans, a graphic T-shirt with her image on the front and a blonde wig.

From BBC

Worcester Crown Court heard graphic details of the suffering experienced by young macaques in Indonesia - with the footage sold to people around the world.

From BBC

There are a few elements on the chair that I had asked them to find, like there’s a logo shirt that they helped me source that was the main graphic for the Olympics.

From Los Angeles Times

Words That Use -graphic

What does -graphic mean?

The combining form -graphic is used like a suffix meaning “of or relating to something drawn or written,” often to denote a recording of something. It is often used in scientific and technical terms.

The combining form -graphic comes from a combination of two forms. The first is -graph, from Greek -graphos, meaning “drawn or written, one who draws or writes.” The second form is the suffix -ic, which denotes an adjective.

What are variants of -graphic?

While -graphic doesn’t have any variants, it is related to the forms -graphy, as in telegraphy, as well as -graph, as in pictograph. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on -graphy and -graph.

Examples of -graphic

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -graphic is micrographic, “of or relating to the description or delineation of microscopic objects.”

You may recognize the form micro-, meaning “small,” from Greek mīkrós. The form -graphic means “of or relating to something drawn or written.” Micrographic literally translates to “of or relating to a drawing [recording] of something small.”

What are some words that use the combining form -graphic?

• cardiographic
• hydrographic
• pictographic
• seismographic
• stenographic

What are some other forms that -graphic may be commonly confused with?

• -grade
• -gram
• -phage

Break it down!

The combining form seismo- means “earthquake.” With that in mind, what does seismographic mean?