high-def

adjective

ˈhī-ˈdef

variants or less commonly hi-def

: high-definition

high-def TV

high-def programming

hi-def video

high-def noun

or less commonly hi-def

watching the game in high-def

Examples of high-def in a Sentence

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.

Then, consider these events — captured in high-def — coming in the weeks after the league fined several players hundreds of thousands of dollars for celebrating. — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2026 On the ride itself, visitors will see high-def erupting volcanoes, frozen landscapes as well as wildlife including seals, sperm whales, polar bears and beluga whales, during a watery virtual plunge. — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026 Today’s draftniks have access to endless high-def broadcasts and custom compilations showing a prospect’s every snap. — Dan Greene, New Yorker, 18 May 2026 Aiming to lift the glands out of sight—particularly into a too-small container—can sometimes backfire, casting them in high-def. — Jolene Edgar, Allure, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for high-def

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of high-def was in 1983

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“High-def.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-def. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

high-def

adjective

Examples of high-def in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes