mural

[ myoor-uhl ]

noun

1. a large picture painted or affixed directly on a wall or ceiling.
2. a greatly enlarged photograph attached directly to a wall.
3. a wallpaper pattern representing a landscape or the like, often with very widely spaced repeats so as to produce the effect of a mural painting on a wall of average size; a trompe l'oeil.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a wall.
2. executed on or affixed to a wall:

   mural inscriptions.

3. pertaining to any of several astronomical instruments that were affixed to a wall aligned on the plane of a meridian, and were formerly used to measure the altitude of celestial bodies:

   a mural quadrant; a mural circle.

mural

/ ˈmjʊərəl /

noun

1. a large painting or picture on a wall

adjective

1. of or relating to a wall

mural

1. A painting, usually large, made directly on a wall.

Notes

The Mexican artist Diego Rivera was noted for his production of murals.

Derived Forms

• ˈmuralist, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mural¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin mūrālis, equivalent to mūr ( us ) wall + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of mural¹

C15: from Latin mūrālis, from mūrus wall

Example Sentences

A striking mural in Boyle Heights that honors legendary Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzuela is now complete.

From Los Angeles Times

A mural honoring Valenzuela was recently unveiled in Boyle Heights.

From Los Angeles Times

That was the De León on display at the Valenzuela mural unveiling.

From Los Angeles Times

He led chants and cracked jokes and introduced a parade of speakers — among them Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, actor Edward James Olmos and East LA Community Corporation president Monica Mejia — who thanked him for helping spearhead the mural, along with playwright Josefina Lopez and artist Robert Vargas.

From Los Angeles Times

On Sunday, a six-story mural depicting Valenzuela pitching was unveiled in Boyle Heights.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• art
• canvas
• composition
• depiction
• landscape
• oil painting
• picture
• portrait
• sketch