One picture is worth a thousand words.
One picture is worth a thousand words.
Meaning in plain English
The saying values one picture as highly as a thousand words. It praises the ability of an image to convey something compactly.
Example
A diagram helps a group understand an arrangement and is accompanied by the labels needed to interpret it.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The number is rhetorical rather than an exchange rate. A useful application asks whether a particular image clarifies what words would describe at length. Images can also omit context or mislead, so the comparison does not make them universally clearer or more truthful.
When to use it
Use it to discuss when a visual explanation helps.
Keep in mind
The numerical value is figurative; pictures still need context and checking.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 88; PDF page 17
Reuse and collection notes ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · supplied collection
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
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Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
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