cinematography

noun

: the art or science of photography in a visual medium (as for movies, television, or video games)
black-and-white cinematography
But most of the cinematography is pedestrian. Many scenes are ridiculously overlit—no doubt because Technicolor was still a glorious new gimmick in 1939.Philip Martin
… this film, directed by Cameron Crowe, has better acting, more depth, and also boasts gorgeous cinematography.Nancy Gordon

Examples of cinematography in a Sentence

The film's cinematography is breathtaking. Who did the cinematography for this film?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The pallid grayness of Mike Eley’s cinematography is probably supposed to mimic the finality of HIV/AIDS taking hold, but there’s no passion aesthetically to counterbalance what becomes absolute misery onscreen to watch. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026 One definition of great cinematography is pretty pictures that move. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 Simone Hart handled the cinematography, and Anna Kirst is the editor of Eklipse, which also features actors Lenz Moretti, Lisa Schützenberger and Barbara Romaner. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026 Original music by Laura Karpman, with cinematography by Mario Furloni. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cinematography

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cinematography was in 1896

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Cite this Entry

“Cinematography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinematography. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

cinematography

noun
: the art or science of motion-picture photography
cinematographer
-fər
noun

Medical Definition

cinematography

noun
plural cinematographies
: the art or science of motion-picture photography
X-ray fluoroscopic cinematography

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