graphic

¹ American  

[graf-ik] / ˈgræf ɪk /

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 American  

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

   telegraphic.

---

graphic British  

/ 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

---

Usage

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.

Related Words

See picturesque.

Other Word Forms

• graphically adverb
• graphicalness noun
• graphicness noun
• nongraphic adjective
• nongraphical adjective
• nongraphically adverb
• nongraphicalness noun
• ungraphic adjective
• ungraphical adjective
• ungraphically adverb

Etymology

Origin of graphic

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

Explanation

Something graphic is visual. Graphic design is made of visual elements. A graphic novel tells its story with pictures. And a story that is too graphic is too good at showing you things that are, for example, shocking or violent. Derived from the Greek graphikos, meaning "drawn" or "written," graphic shows up often before words such as design or art. There's debate over whether Norman Rockwell was a painter or just a graphic artist. In certain cases, usually involving loaded issues such as violence or sex, graphic means overly clear in a visual way. Gruesome slasher movies could be too graphic for some viewers, leaving them feeling sick to their stomachs.

Example Sentences

Alice Oseman’s fictional world, where LGBTQ+ teenagers freely explore love, friendship and identity, expanded first to graphic novels before being turned into a hugely popular Netflix series.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Demonstrating familiarity with the tools required for things like programming, graphic design and data-management is no longer enough when AI is able to take on those sorts of tasks.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

An earlier version of yesterday’s newsletter misstated the number of companies as 290 in the body and the graphic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Depression and desensitization are fueled by easy access to the most startling, graphic images one could imagine, all one click away.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

For some reason, I seemed to know quite a few graphic designers whose homes and offices pleasantly stank of Spray Mount.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris